Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned from multiple and verified sources that two Kurdish Kolbar porters died and 12 others were injured in January 2020. One of the dead was killed by Iranian government forces and the other, a 55-year-old Kolbar worker, froze to death in adverse weather conditions. Government troops also shot and injured 11 Kolbar and Kurdish tradesmen. Another was injured after he fell off from a mountainous…
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Two Kurdish border porters –known as Kolbar- have been injured at the Ghotour border areas (Kutul) of Khoy as a result of being shot by Turkey’s military forces on January 26 and transferred by a Van to a hospital in Turkey, sources told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). Informed sources in Ghotour have told KHRN that both Hussain Hadizadeh, 29, and Ali Hadizadeh,…
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The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) learned that three Kurdish border porters –known as Kolbar- have been wounded in the Salmas, Piranshahr and Sardasht border areas as a result of being shot by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military forces during the past three days. According to reports received, border guards of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the border areas…
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The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) announced that 5 Kurdish border porters –known as Kolbar- and tradesmen have been killed while 13 others have been injured by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military forces or due to natural disasters along the Kolbari routes during the past month. According to statistics, two Kolbars were targeted by military forces and died in the hospital due to the…
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A Kurdish border porter (known as Kolbar) named Jamal Balaki was injured in a fall from the heights of the Tata Heraman border. Other Kolbars have reportedly taken Jamal Balaki to a medical centre in Marivan after he was injured. Tata Hawraman defile is one of the highest heights and rainiest border areas of Kurdistan. In the past few years, a large number of…
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A wounded Kurdish border porter –known as Kolbar- “Khezer Binava” from the village of Korbinaw in Sardasht, died after 10 days in a hospital in Mahabad due to serious injuries, local sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). He was shot and severely wounded by the shooting of Iranian border guards in the Kani Sew area of Sardasht on Dec 22. Another Kolbar, Mohammad…
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The Iranian border guards directly targeted a group of Kurdish border porters -known Kolbars- at Baljuk village of Khoy on 5 January and injured two Kolbars, local sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). 20-year-old Behnam Alizadeh and 25-year-old Ali Yusefi were targeted and wounded by the border guards. The KHRN released a report on 5 January regarding the death of Kolbars in 2019. According to the…
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Paris, January 05, 2020 – The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) announced that 79 Kurdish border porters –known as Kolbar- and tradesmen have been killed and another 66 have been injured by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military forces, or due to natural disasters along the Kolbari routes in 2019. According to the statistics compiled by the KHRN, 57 people were killed by direct shootings of the Iranian…
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The Iranian border guards directly targeted a group of Kurdish border porters (known Kolbars) and tradesmen at Khoy-Sardasht border area where a Kolbar and a tradesman got injured, local sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). Hamed Abed, a Kurdish tradesman from Qator of Khoy district, and Kurdish Kolbar Hiva Sadiqzadeh from Sardasht were targeted and wounded by the border guards in the border area of the…
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In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of Kurdish civilians in different regions and cities across Iran.
This report includes all cases recorded and reported by KHRN from across Iran through its own sources and verification mechanisms from 1 August to 31 August.
The restrictive environment for independent human rights organisations in Iran, coupled with the pressures faced by individuals subjected to human rights violations and their families, make it difficult to publish accurate and comprehensive reports.
It is therefore important to note that the statistics and information presented in this report do not cover all cases of human rights violations. This report is the result of examining news and reports published by the KHRN and fact-checking of reports published by other human rights organisations and news websites.
Executions
According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least 14 prisoners in August, including Reza Rasaei, a 35-year-old Kurdish Yarsani civilian who was arrested during the Women, Life, Freedom anti-government uprising.
The political prisoner was executed on 6 August and his family and lawyer were not informed in advance, nor was he allowed a final meeting with his family.
The remaining 13 prisoners were executed on drug or murder charges.
*Explanation: The KHRN, recognizing the fundamental right to life, publishes and records news and execution statistics without regard to the ethnic background of individuals and the location of the execution. All cases reported to the organisation by credible sources are published after thorough fact-checking.
Femicide
On 26 August, an 18-year-old woman, Mobina Zeynivand, was killed by her father in the village of Gorz-e Langar in Darreh Shahr, Ilam Province.
Zeynivand’s 56-year-old father killed his daughter and surrendered to the judicial authorities, citing “family disputes” as the reason for the murder. She was reportedly killed for trying to marry the person she loved.
Kolbars and tradesmen
In August, at least two kolbars were killed and nine injured by gunfire from Iranian border and security forces.
Additionally, one kolbar was injured due to falling from border heights in Marivan, Kurdistan Province.
Detentions and arrests
Over the past month, Iranian forces arrested at least 17 individuals, including activists and religious figures.
At least four of the detained civilians were sent to Naqadeh, Orumiyeh, Mahabad and Bukan prisons to serve sentences.
Sentences
In August, Iranian courts sentenced at least five people to prison terms ranging from six months to eight years and 10 months.