At the remote border crossing from Iran into Iraqi Kurdistan, the grim realities of the government’s crackdown on protesters are laid bare. Amid the thick snowfall, a trickle of Iranians arrive, many bearing the scars of the violent response to the nationwide demonstrations that have rocked the country.
One man, who asked to remain anonymous, recounted his harrowing experience. “I was hit in the face by seven pellet rounds,” he said, pointing to the welts and bruises across his face. “They struck above my eyelid, on my forehead, my cheek, my lip, under my ear and along my jaw. I had to use a razor blade to cut one of the pellets out.”
Fearful of arrest, he and others injured during the government’s crackdown on protesters have avoided seeking medical attention, putting their health at risk. “One of my friends told me he was hit by a pellet round,” he said. “His son, who is around 12 or 13 years old, was struck twice in the leg by live ammunition. One of the bullets is lodged in the shin bone. They’re terrified of going to hospital to have it removed.”
The Iranian authorities have responded to the protests, which were sparked by economic woes and a growing sense of frustration with the regime, with a heavy hand. Rights groups estimate that at least 2,500 people have been killed in the crackdown. While the government appears to have quelled the street demonstrations for now, the underlying issues that fueled the unrest remain unresolved.
“We don’t want anything more than our basic rights,” a teacher from a town near the border told The Update Desk. “To own a house, to own a car, to have a normal life. My salary lasts 10 days, and I have to borrow money to cover the rest of the month. It’s very bad.”
The violence and repression have left many Iranians disillusioned and uncertain about the future. As one man at the border said, “We’re waiting to see what Trump does. In the meantime, civilians are getting killed.”
The crackdown may have succeeded in silencing the protests for now, but it has also highlighted the growing fear and discontent within Iran’s population. The regime’s ability to meet the basic needs and aspirations of its people remains in question, as the country’s economic woes and vulnerability to external threats continue to mount.
