One Kolbar Killed, Another Injured by Regime’s Military Forces

On Tuesday, November 30, regime military forces at the border near Baneh City shot two kolbars (cross-border carriers), killing one and injuring the other. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdistan Press Agency (Kurdpa), Adel Alipur, a resident of the village Sarsool in Baneh County was shot and killed. Today, December 1st, Alipur’s body was buried in his village.

Yaser Aminpur, also of Sarsool, was severely injured in the foot and has been hospitalized in Baneh City.

Many poor people living in border areas work as kolbars to make ends meet. This work is illegal and involves carrying loads on foot across national borders. Yearly, dozens of kolbars are injured and killed from accidents, dangerous conditions, and border guard shootings.

HRANA’s annual human rights report has specifically documented cases in which military forces’ use of live ammunition against citizens has led to their injury or death. According to the 2020 report, beyond material damages— such as loss of pack animals due to road accidents, frost, or avalanche— 36 kolbars have been shot dead, and 109 have been injured by military forces and border guards. In this year, five kolbars lost their lives and five were injured due to freezing cold weather or falling from high.

One Worker Killed and One Injured in Recent Workplace Accidents

In two recent workplace accidents, one worker lost his life in Azna City in Lorestan Province and one was injured severely in Baneh City in Kurdistan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRIB News Agency, a worker of Iran Ferroalloy Industries Company was killed after falling from a tall industrial structure. Reportedly, he died from a heavy object that fell on top of him in the accident.

In a separate work accident, according to IRNA, a gasoline leak from a car parked in a store caused a fire that severely injured one worker in an industrial town in Baneh City.

“The fire broke out in the store due to the gasoline leaked from a car in the vicinity of a heading torch” head of Municipal Fire and Safety Services of Baneh Salar Bastami stated. The injured worker has second-degree burns and is now hospitalized in Tabriz City.

Iran ranks 102nd in workplace safety out of 189 countries.

Citizen Detained by Security Forces in Baneh

On September 15, Anvar Rasouli was arrested by security forces in Baneh City in Kurdistan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Rasouli was transferred to an unknown location following the arrest.

Anvar Rasouli is 45 years old and from Abolhassan village. The report says that Mr. Rasouli was arrested without a court order.

As of this writing, no information is available on the reasons for Rasouli’s detention or the charges against him.