Human Rights Organization Report: 18 Porters Killed and Wounded in December
At least 18 porters and smugglers were killed and wounded in various border areas of Kurdistan during December of the current year.
According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network report, in the past month at least 5 porters and smugglers were killed in the border areas of Kurdistan by direct fire from border guards, and 13 others were wounded.
Based on this report, 2 of the individuals who lost their lives in December were targeted by border guard forces in previous months, and while initially wounded, they later died in hospitals due to the severity of their injuries.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network has also announced that 10 porters and smugglers were injured by direct fire from border guards, and 3 others were injured as a result of falling from border heights.
According to these statistics, the highest number of casualties occurred in the border areas of Sardasht city with 2 killed and 2 wounded, and the border areas of Khoy with 3 wounded, all of whom were killed or wounded by direct gunfire.
Previously, Voice of America reported, citing the human rights organization Hengaw, that in 2019 at least 252 porters were killed and wounded in various border areas of Kurdistan.
In recent years, dozens of porters who are forced into porterage due to economic hardship have lost their lives. In addition to dangers such as falling from mountains and frostbite, shooting at porters in recent years has claimed the lives of dozens and injured dozens of others.
This is while Iranian officials themselves acknowledge that the volume of contraband brought in by porters compared to smuggling through other routes is very insignificant.
According to the Hengaw human rights organization report, the highest number of killed and wounded porters is related to West Azerbaijan province with 45 killed and 112 wounded.
As reports continue about the harsh living conditions and killing of porters in Iran’s border cities, Rasoul Khezri, representative of the people of Piranshahr, on Sunday, June 16, described the current situation as “complex” and said that border closures have destroyed the livelihoods of porters.
The United States has repeatedly condemned systemic financial corruption among members of Iran’s ruling class, the plundering of the country’s natural resources by leaders of the Islamic Republic regime, and the overseas adventurism of the system ruling Iran, considering them among the main factors of economic and financial problems for various segments of the Iranian people.
Source: DW
