Following the killing of the brave environmental ranger Heydar Dideban in one of Iran’s protected areas, BBC Persian conducted an interview with Dr. Hossein Raeesi, a legal scholar and professor of human rights at Carleton University in Canada.
In this interview, Dr. Raeesi highlighted the lack of effective legal reforms to protect rangers in Iran and stressed that the traditional structure of self-defense laws, rooted in Islamic jurisprudence, remains unchanged and unreformed.
He also pointed to the shortage of resources, insufficient staffing, and the lack of training and proper equipment as factors contributing to increased violence and casualties among rangers.
Dr. Raeesi emphasized the urgent need to review environmental protection laws and ensure safer working conditions for rangers. He called for prioritizing legal reforms and the provision of essential equipment and institutional support.
