Two More Kolbars Injured by Iranian Border Guards

Border forces of the Islamic Republic in the western Kurdistan province have shot and injured two more kolbars as violence against the transborder porters continues to escalate. 

Arman Hosseini, 26, and Shahin Mohammadi, 17, both from the Kurdish town of Saqqez, were shot and injured by border guards at the Hengejal border crossing in Baneh on March 9.

The Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported that the two were wounded while crossing the border, sustaining injuries to the leg and lower back due to direct gunfire from government forces.

Kolbars are porters who transport goods on their backs and feet across the borders of Iran, covering long distances, primarily in the impoverished, mountainous Kurdish areas adjacent to Iraq. 

According to the Kolbar News website, a total of 85 kolbars lost their lives while transporting goods in the western provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah between March and September 2023.

Causes of death included direct fire by military forces, blizzards, cold weather, and falls from mountains and heights.