Two Kurdish Kolbars Die, One Shot by Iranian Border Guards

Two Kurdish kolbars lost their lives in separate incidents on the Iranian borders this weekend, according to a report by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.

Soran Abdi, a 22-year-old crossborder porter from Baneh, Sanandaj province, died on Sunday after sustaining critical injuries from gunfire by Iranian border guards near the Hangazhall border crossing. 

Despite attempts to get him medical attention, he succumbed to his wounds. Hengaw reported that Soran was married and is survived by his pregnant wife.

Mohammad Bayer Mohammadi, a 48-year-old kolbar from the village of Ziran in Javanroud in Kermanshah province, suffered a fatal heart attack while transporting goods on the Nowsud border on the same day.

This news comes just days after Mohammadi's 15-year-old son, Milad, fell from a height while working on the Nowsud border. 

Milad is currently receiving medical treatment for his injuries.

The deaths of Soran Abdi and Mohammad Bayer Mohammadi highlight the dangers faced by cross-border porters known as kolbars, who resort to this risky work due to limited economic opportunities in the Kurdish regions of Iran. 

Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Iranian authorities for the use of lethal force against kolbars, urging for alternative solutions to address the underlying economic issues.