Reports from western Iran indicate that last Thursday, a border porter named Kamal Mohammadi was shot and killed by Iranian border guards in the Baneh border areas. According to another report, two days prior, on Tuesday, another border porter named Salim Khalili was severely injured by gunfire from Iranian border guards in the Oshnavieh border areas. Border porters, known as 'Kolbar', are individuals who generally resort to transporting food and small household and electronic goods across borders due to extreme poverty or lack of sufficient jobs in the formal and conventional sectors of the Iranian economy. The continued targeting of border porters with live ammunition by Iranian border guards occurs at a time when Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in a public speech in February 2018: 'What I mean by smuggling is not that weak Kolbar from Balochistan who goes over there and brings something back with his backpack. These are nothing, they have no significance. It doesn't matter if we don't fight them...'. Radio Farda began a conversation with Souma Safari, a reporter for the Mokrian News Agency in Sanandaj, asking her to share details of the news regarding the killing and injury of the two border porters with Radio Farda's listeners.
Two More Border Porters Killed and Injured in Western Iran
Two border porters were recently targeted by Iranian border guards, resulting in one death and one serious injury. This incident highlights the ongoing violence against marginalized workers in Iran's border regions. The situation reflects broader issues of poverty and government policy regarding smuggling.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
In western Iran, two border porters were shot by Iranian border guards, resulting in one death and one injury. This incident highlights the ongoing violence against Kolbars in Iran.
- Kamal Mohammadi was killed by Iranian border guards in Baneh.
- Salim Khalili was injured by gunfire from Iranian border guards in Oshnavieh.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Kolbars are informal workers who transport goods across borders due to lack of formal employment opportunities, often facing dangerous conditions.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%