ERBIL — The social media in Iranian Kurdistan has recently reacted with anger to the situation of a Kurdish athlete who is forced to risk his life for a living, carrying goods over the border with other porters, better known as Kolber in Kurdish.

Taha Ghaffari, from Marivan city of Kordestan province, has won two world championship medals in running and several others olympic games in Asia and national games in Iran.

Several pictures of the Kurdish athlete have recently gone viral on social media, showing pictures with him in championships and him on the mountains while carrying goods on his back for a living.

Ghaffari is reportedly working now as a porter as his area, among many other Kurdish provinces, suffers from poor services and lack of job opportunities.

Working as a porter is one of the riskiest jobs Iranian Kurds resort to. Border guards often open fire at the porters as they treat porters as smugglers.

According to records by Hangaw Organization for Human Rights, since 1st October, Iranian security forces have killed seven Kurdish porters and wounded 16 others.

Bas News