From the beginning of year 1397 and the first days of Nowruz, several Kurdish porters from Salmas, rabe, and Sardasht have been killed or wounded around Sardasht border by either Iranian border forces shots or falling from the border area heights.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, during the first week of year 1397, several Kurdish porters from Salmas, Rabt, and Sardasht have been killed or wounded around Sardasht border by either Iranian border forces shots or falling from the border area heights.
“Abrahim Soleimani and Shahrouz Hamidzadeh ” are among those who were killed and “Jamal Khebaz and Loghman Mohammadzadeh” were severely injured.
On Monday, March 26th, 2018, Ebrahim Soleimani, a young man from the village of Kanizard, along with a few businessmen on their way back to their village, were targeted by the Sardasht border forces shooting. Ebrahim Suleimani, married and father of five children was shot dead by the border regiments direct shooting.
Shahezor Hamidzadeh, a porter from Salmas, Ashniyeh city, also died on March 25th, 2018, by falling into the river Ghedar Ashnavih.
On March 24th, 2018, Loghman Mohammadzadeh and Jamal Jabbaz, two porters from Rabt and Sardasht were wounded by Sardasht border forces direct firing. At the time of writing this report, there is no information about their health condition.
Every winter due to the sharp decrease in extreme temperatures and unbearable cold temperature in the border regions, the number of victims increased. Just during the winter of 1396, sixteen porters were killed and 25 were seriously injured.
During year 1396, many of the people that had no choice other than working as porters, have been killed or injured during working time. Kurdish human rights media reported that “at least 227 porters were killed and wounded during the past year (1396).”
Out of a total of 227 porters’ casualties, at least 73 people were killed and 154 were wounded. Majority of these porters have been seriously injured by the border guards’ shots, and some have suffered from natural hazards, trap in cold and snow, and falling from the heights.