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Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heydaranlou was a 39-year-old Kurdish man from a small village called Segrik, near Chaldoran in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. He was a husband, a father of three children, and someone who worked hard just to survive. Like many other Kurdish men in his region, he was a kolbar — a cross-border porter who carried heavy goods on his back through mountain passes at the Iran-Turkey border. Kolbars are not smugglers in the usual sense. They are people left with almost no choice. In some Kurdish areas of Iran, unemployment is high and state neglect is deep. Kolbari is…
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In recent years, Iran has intensified its enforcement of compulsory hijab laws through the deployment of advanced surveillance technologies. While the national implementation of these laws has faced challenges and public resistance, certain regions, notably Isfahan, have become focal points for stringent enforcement measures. Isfahan, a major city in central Iran, has witnessed the integration of various surveillance tools aimed at monitoring and controlling women’s adherence to the state’s dress code. These tools include International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers, contactless card readers, and extensive networks of surveillance cameras. Such technologies enable authorities to identify, track, and intimidate women who…
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Structural Violence in the Islamic Regime’s Labor System
Between 2021-22, 3,826 workers in Iran were killed in so-called “workplace accidents.” These deaths are not isolated tragedies or unfortunate errors of management—they are the logical outcome of a social order in which the working class is systematically denied the right to organize, to supervise, and to intervene in the…
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Banners in the Wind, Walls at the Border
In late 2006, I took part in a small gathering in Sanandaj for World Children’s Day. We held signs that said children deserve education, not war—hardly a radical demand. Most of us were under 25. Some were students, some workers, some artists. We were thinking about Afghan children without access…
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Greece: Refugees Still Face Major Barriers to a Normal Life
Even after receiving refugee status in Greece, daily life remains full of obstacles. The latest report by Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) and PRO ASYL confirms what many of us have already experienced: recognition on paper does not mean real protection or stability. As someone who has lived in Greece for…
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Iran–US: Against the War Camps
Over the past 24 hours, diplomatic and military developments between the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran have intensified. While the headlines are shaped by threats of war, military buildups, and indirect diplomatic signaling, the underlying dynamics point to deeper strategic tensions that require clear and grounded…
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Baloch Women Face Repression for Speaking Out
In March 2025, two prominent Baloch human rights defenders, Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, were arrested by Pakistani authorities during peaceful protests in Quetta and Karachi. Their arrests have increased concerns about the criminalization of dissent and the ongoing policy of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Both women are internationally…
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The U.S.–Iran Standoff in a Shifting Global Order
The latest escalation between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran signals more than a bilateral conflict over nuclear capabilities. While Iranian officials hint at resuming a nuclear program if attacked, Donald Trump has issued multiple threats of unprecedented military strikes, using the Houthis’ actions in the Red…
