Kolbar Freezes to Death in Sardasht County

On March 4, a Kolbar (cross border carrier) froze to death at a border area in Sardasht County. Last Monday, in an accident in Baneh County, a Kolbar was severely injured and lost his right foot and vision in his left eye due to a landmine explosion.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, the Kolbar who died was identified as Mohammad Soor-Vardeh, a resident of Sardasht.

Kurdpa also reported that last Monday, a landmine explosion severely injured severely another Kolbar, identified as Foad Mehdi Ebrahimian, age 24, also a resident of Sardasht.

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.

Two Landmine Blasts Severely Injure Four Kolbars

On Monday, February 22, a landmine remnant from the Iran-Iraq War exploded in a border area and injured three Kolbars (cross border carriers). On the same day, another mine blast injured a Kolbar in the Nowsud border area.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, On Monday, February 22, 2022, the Kolbars were injured by a landmine blast in the border area of Hangazhall, located in Baneh County.

The injured Kolbars were identified as Foad Bitooshi, Kianoosh Raofi and Amanj (last name unidentified). Currently, all three are hospitalized.

Additionally, in another accident, a Kolbar identified as Mirabdoli in the Nowsud border area, located in Paweh County, was injured by a landmine blast.

Every year, landmine explosions take several victims in  Iran’s border areas. There are about 42,000 square kilometres of war zones in Iran that have not yet been fully demined from the Iran-Iraq war.

In flagrant violation of international conventions, the regime is still using these landmines to secure its borders.

Accordingly, there are still thousands of landmines planted in Iran in the border areas with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. The regime also planted many landmines during the conflicts of the 1980s in Kurdistan.

One Kolbar Killed, Another Injured in Direct Shooting by Regime Military Forces

On January 6, at a border area in Nosud, Kermanshah Province, two Kolbars (cross-border carriers) were killed and injured in a direct shooting by regime military forces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, military forces killed one Kolbar and injured the other. The Kolbars were identified by the first names Freydun and Sirius. The injured Kolbar’s condition is still unknown.

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.

According to HRANA’s annual report, in 2021, 242 citizens were targeted by unruly shootings by regime military forces, of which 94 were killed. This includes 23 Kolbars (cross border carriers) and 31 Sukhtbar (cross-border fuel porters). 148 people have been injured, including 81 Kolbars and 51 Sukhtbars.