Three Kolbers Injured in Western Iran; Painful Encounters with Kolbers Continue

The human rights organization "Hangaw" reported on Monday, February 19, that three Kolbers were injured in recent days, stating that Jalal Rahmani and Ako (last name unknown) were shot directly by border forces at the Hengajjal border in Baneh, and Salman Amiri, from Marivan, was severely injured after falling from the heights of Nosud. In this regard, Dana Lanj Abadi, a journalist from the Mukrian News Agency in Iranian Kurdistan, told Voice of America: "The situation of Kolbers remains critical, and every day we witness painful encounters with these individuals." According to Hangaw, border forces at the Hengajjal border in Baneh arrested Jalal Rahmani from Boukan and Ako (last name unknown) on Sunday, February 18, and after torture and beating, shot them from behind, resulting in severe injuries to their heads, noses, and legs. Additionally, on Friday, February 17, Salman Amiri suffered a back fracture after falling from the heights of the Nosud border area and was transferred from the hospital in Paveh to Taleghani Hospital in Kermanshah due to the severity of his health condition. According to the report, he has undergone surgery once and is scheduled for a second surgery. In recent years, many reports have been published about the conditions of Kolbers, including shootings by the Islamic Republic's border forces against them. Dana Lanj Abadi emphasized that "Kolbari is not just a problem that has tarnished human dignity, but rather a form of exploitation in Kurdistan." He added that "the prohibition of foreign product imports has issued a license for the killing of Kolbers, which serves as a pretext for the expansion of smuggling throughout Iran." He noted that Kolbers, as the breadwinners of their families, know they may never return home, yet they undertake this arduous and perilous work due to limited livelihood opportunities in Kurdistan. According to statistics published on the "Kolber News" website, in 2023, a total of 299 Kolbers in the border areas and roadways of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah provinces have been killed or injured due to factors such as direct shootings by military forces, avalanches, frostbite, stepping on landmines, and falling from heights. In the first two months of this year, about 35 cases of injury and death among Kolbers have been recorded. Dana Lanj Abadi pointed out that in just nine days, at least 23 Kolbers, including two children under the age of 18, were killed and injured in the border areas of Kurdistan, of which two Kolbers were killed and 21 others were injured.