In June, at least 10 Iranian Kurdish Kolbars, or cross-border porters, were killed or injured near the Iraqi border, with 90% of the incidents resulting from direct fire by Iranian border guards.
According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, three Kolbars were killed and seven were injured, with two deaths directly caused by border patrol forces. Most incidents, 8 out of 10, occurred along the borders of Iran’s Kurdistan Province.
Kolbars, who often carry smuggled goods like household appliances across Iran’s mountainous borders into Iraq, undertake these perilous journeys to escape dire living conditions. From March 2023 to March 2024, Kolbar News reported 444 Kolbars were killed or injured along border areas and routes between Urmia, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah provinces.
These incidents stem from direct shootings by military forces, avalanches, frostbite, land mines, and falls.
Direct shootings accounted for 373 of the casualties. Many Kolbars, often under 18, smuggle goods such as illegal fuel in some of Iran’s poorest regions. The Iranian government’s treatment of these laborers underscores the harsh realities faced by one of the country’s most marginalized communities.
