Despite the widespread protests to killing of Kolbars in various cities of Kurdistan during recent months, the systematic killings of Kolbars and Kasibkar (Tradesman) continue and several protesters to such killings are still held in detention.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that on Thursday, September 21, the border guards in the Ghalaga area at Nosoud Border ambushed a group of Kolbars and attempted to seize their cargo. But they were confronted with the resistance of Kolbars and the local people who went to help them. But Security officers opened fire on the crowd and a 25-year-old man called “Farzad Ghaderi” from the village of “Neysaneh” sustained injuries on his foot.
Sulaiman Ghaderi
“The Border Regiment Guards fired at least 7 artillery shells which led to the injury of Farzad Ghaderi who was transferred to one of the medical centres in Kermanshah”, an Eyewitnesses told KHRN.
Moreover, on Monday, September 18th, police forces at the “Village of Haggh” from Shno city (also known in Farsi as Oshnavieh) checkpoint targeted a number of Kolbars in “Ghalatgah hill” area. As a result, a Kolbar called Sulaiman Ghaderi from Nlas, married with 2 children, was injured and transferred to the Oshnavieh hospital where he lost his life due to his serious injuries. Several horses also got killed and their cargo was seized by the forces.
The Iranian Labour News Agency website, ILNA, initially released the news about the killing of the above-mentioned Kolbar. However, later this news was replaced with the claim of an Interior Ministry official about how the concerned Kolbar was killed.
According to this official, the Oshnavieh region does not have a border market and the claim that the mentioned Kolbars were just carrying cargo is completely unsubstantial. “The border control unit confronted with a group smuggling Alcoholic beverages in the Siah Kooh of Oshnavieh since they failed to stop for inspection of their cargo. The border control unit discovered 6,000 litres of liquor in their cargo. During the clast, one of the smugglers was injured and taken to the hospital but he is now in a stable condition.”, he added.
“Realizing that Sulaiman Ghaderi may lose his life due to sustaining serious injuries, the border guards placed several boxes of alcoholic beverages next to him and took several photos to justify his murder”, one of the eyewitnesses told KHRN while denying the statements of the authorities.
Interestingly, in an interview with Tasnim News Agency the next day, deputy to the Political and Security Chief of the provincial governorate of West Azerbaijan Province provided contradictory narrative. He claimed that one of the smugglers of alcoholic beverages had been injured in the clash with security force who also discovered the dead body of another smuggler when returning from the area.
“The security forces discovered a corpse on their way back from the scene. After being examined by the Red Crescent, the corpse was transferred to the hospital for further investigation. Due to lack of any beatings or shotgun signs in the corpse in the initial investigations, the body was then transferred to the office Forensic Medicine to determine the cause of death.”, The official added.
According to a close friend of this Kolbar, the Office of Forensic Medicine eventually handed over the dead body to the family two days later. The family’s complaint of the Disciplinary Forces has not been investigated yet.
In recent days, security forces have continued to arrest citizens and civil activists protesting against the Killing of Kurdish Kolbars in various cities of Kurdistan. The security forces have identified and arrested a number of participants in the protests to the killing of two Kolbars in Baneh several days ago.
According to KHRN, at least 4 of the 60 detainees arrested in Baneh are still in detention while the remaining detainees have been released on bail of several hundred million Tomans until the court hearing.
Saber bapiri
One of the recently released detainees who did not wish to be identified told KHRN that the protesters were tortured at the police station and the city’s prison on the charge of “destructing public property and creating turmoil”.
So far, KHRN has identified the three detainees as Saber Bapiri, Rezgar Rafei and Hoshyar(unknown family name).
One of the cultural activists of the city of Kermanshah, Shahryar Tahmasebi – who was arrested on Thursday, September 07, along with four other cultural activists from Kermanshah on charges of attempts to rally in protest to the Killing of Kurdish Kolbars in Kermanshah’s Koudak Park- is also still in the prison since he cannot afford to provide the bail required for his release.
