The media outlet “Kolbarnews” (hra-news) has reported that a total of 85 kolbars (cross-border laborers) were killed or injured in the first six months of the Persian calendar year (From March 21 to September 21) in the border areas and roads of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah provinces.
Kolbars are individuals who transport commercial goods on their backs from border areas into the country to make ends meet. Kolbars are often subjected to suppression and violence by the military forces.
According to the report, out of this number, 13 kolbars were killed and 72 kolbars were injured. Among the total of 85 kolbars who were killed or injured, 77 of them lost their lives or were injured due to direct shootings by the regime military forces.
In the latest incident, Harana news agency reported that on September 20, a kolbar was injured as a result of military shootings in the border area of Baneh. The kolbar’s name was identified as Farid and he was from Divandarreh.
According to the report, this kolbar was targeted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces (IRGC) and was transferred to a medical center for treatment.
Previously, the Statistics center, Publications, and Works Center of the Iranian Human Rights Activists Association had announced that in 2022, 21 kolbars lost their lives and 133 were injured by the border and security forces. Additionally, during this period, 28 kolbars were involved in accidents due to climatic and geographical conditions such as freezing and falls from heights. Out of this number, 26 kolbars were injured, and two lost their lives.
The evidence shows that people in border areas engage in manual transfer of goods across the border due to the lack of job opportunities and poor living conditions.
