MARIWAN, Iran - Taking one last puff of his cigarette, 30-year-old Payam Rawshani reminisces about his school days as an unbeatable athletic prospect and his dreams of competing in an international tournament, as he prepares to take the treacherous path of the mountains, transporting packages as a kolbar.
Kolbar pathways are occasionally closed for various reasons, giving the kolbars a chance to wind down and spend some time with family and friends.
Hailing from the Mariwan County in Iran’s western Kurdistan (Rojhelat), Rawshani sits down with his friends in a teashop in the town of Kani Dinar, smoking cigarettes and sipping tea while they talk about the issues and challenges they face.
Kolbars transport untaxed goods across the Kurdistan Region-Iran border and sometimes the Iran-Turkey border. They are constantly targeted by Iranian border guards and are sometimes victims of natural disasters.
Many are pushed into the profession by poverty and a lack of alternative employment, particularly in Iran's disenfranchised Kurdish provinces.
“I was born to a family of seven. I was doing well in school, and I also had great body strength. My teachers recommended I try wrestling,” Rawshani told Rudaw. “No one could beat me. My coaches had a lot of faith in me. It got to a point where I dreamt of winning international competitions. I was a well-known athlete in Mariwan.”
Rawshani cites his family’s poverty and the lack of financial sponsors for his inability to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional wrestler, stating “I knew that in a life of poverty, you cannot succeed in any field.”
Rawshani took up working as a kolbar to make ends meet, not knowing that he would be stepping down a path of no-return and would have to kiss his dreams goodbye.
“It’s not a job for humans, and it has been forced upon us for being poor,” said Rawshani, who has been a kolbar since the age of 18, and has traveled across almost all the possible paths of the cold region.
Kolbars often cross the mountainous borders in groups, oftentimes dozens of them take on the rocky journey at a time.
In December, Rawshani, carrying a 40-kilogram package on his back, fell from the heights of Nowsud, tearing his quads. Fighting the pain, Rawshani couldn’t stay home for longer than two weeks, as he has a wife and a five-year old child to provide for.
He stated that getting shot and falling from high places are only a fraction of the struggles of kolbars, adding that a very common issue among the transporters is drug addiction.
“In order to not fall asleep and have energy and strength, they take crystals and Tramadol pills. They feel like it’s a temporary thing and not a problem, but before they know it they become addicted to the narcotics and can’t live without them,” said Rawshani.
The kolbar stated that he has witnessed a lot of tragedy during his time on the job, but undeniably nothing has ever been more impactful than seeing his best friend shot and killed by Iranian border guards before his eyes in June 2021.
“I always have that tragic scene before my eyes and it has made me depressed.”
In their monthly report on human rights violations in Iran’s Kurdish areas, the Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) said that at least 18 kolbars were injured during March, either due to various accidents or in shootings by Iranian border forces. Two kolbars also lost their lives: Rostam Khezri after being shot by border guards and Mohammad Omidvar from frostbite.
“At least 52 Kolbars were killed and 163 Kolbars were injured in the border regions of Iranian Kurdistan in 2021,” reported Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
Rawshani said that they have asked for help from many officials to no avail, believing that no one would risk their lives being a kolbar if there were more job opportunities.
“If I could have a job that pays four million [150 dollars] a month, I wouldn’t be risking my life or my family’s lives,” lamented Rawshani.
