Death of a Young Kolbar from Sardasht by Border Forces

Following the shooting death of a young kolbar from Sardasht in the border area, the representative of Sardasht and Piranshahr in the Islamic Consultative Assembly issued a written notice to the Minister of Interior. ILNA news agency reported on Tuesday, October 23, the death of this kolbar named Poshtivan Moein, citing Nejad Jahani, the governor of Sardasht. Mr. Jahani stated that this 24-year-old kolbar was involved in an incident that led to his death on Saturday night, October 21, in the border area of Kanal, near the village of "Bitush" in Sardasht. This government official had previously told the Kurdistan Farda news site that this young kolbar was killed by border forces. He also reported on the gathering of the grieving family of this young man along with several fellow citizens in front of the governor's office, demanding the identification of those responsible for this incident. The governor of Sardasht expressed condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased kolbar, stating, "We will support this young man’s family within the framework of the law and will investigate the matter. Furthermore, the family of this deceased young man can pursue their rights through legal channels, and there are no obstacles in this regard." Another report from ILNA indicated that the representative of Sardasht and Piranshahr in the Islamic Consultative Assembly also issued a written notice to the Minister of Interior due to the death of this young kolbar, calling for "urgent and serious legal action against the perpetrators of the murder" of the Sardasht kolbar. On September 18, border forces in northwestern Iran shot at a number of kolbars near Oshnaviyeh, resulting in the death of one kolbar. The Mokrian news agency also reported that following a chase between border forces and kolbars in Khoy County, one kolbar fell off a cliff and was injured. On September 4, during a shooting incident by border forces in Baneh towards a group of kolbars one kilometer from the border, two kolbars were killed instantly by gunfire. The day after, Mojtaba Shiroudi Bozorg, the military prosecutor of Kurdistan province, announced that five suspects had been arrested in connection with the deaths of these two kolbars. Protests were held in Baneh and Sanandaj cities in response to the killings of these two kolbars, and several protesters were arrested. Mohsen Biglari, the representative of Baneh and Saqqez in the Assembly, stated after this incident that "these individuals are primarily from the weaker segments of society. The reality is that even if these individuals are carrying goods, it does not justify their killing, and these incidents lead to the hurt feelings of the people of Kurdistan and other regions of the country." Some officials and institutions in the Islamic Republic refer to "kolbars" as agents of smuggling goods across the borders into Iran, but the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic stated in May 2016 that his fight against smuggling does not mean "fighting against kolbars." Human rights groups have described the direct and unannounced shooting at kolbars as "inhumane" and have severely criticized such actions by the military and law enforcement officers of the Islamic Republic. Kolbars are individuals who carry goods across Iran's borders to earn a living. They are primarily employed in the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah.