Kurdish photographer showcasing kolbars wins World Press award

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish photographer Ebrahim Alipoor on Monday received the World Press award on long-term projects for showcasing the difficult life and struggles of kolbars in the Kurdistan province of western Iran (Rojhelat).

“In the photography world, honestly, it is a very, very big level and year by year I worked towards this and wanted to be here at this place and for so many people in the world to see the photos and to hear the story,” Alipoor told Rudaw from the ceremony in Amsterdam.

Alipoor’s work - called Bullets Have No Borders - showcases the hardships of kolbars moving across rough and treacherous mountainous terrain on the Iran-Iraq border. Hailing from Baneh - a Kurdish town on Rojhelat’s border with the Kurdistan Region, he said the project is personal and a part of his life, with his friends and family involved in that line of work.

“It is an important story because stories happen in those hills that consist of tragedies, and it is a part of my life, not just as a photographer,” Alipoor said. 

Kolbars are semi-legal porters who 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 frequently victims of natural disasters.



“As someone who lives close to the border, I am from Baneh, and we are very, very close to the border, and I would see this often. Many people from my friends and family started that work, and I lost a lot of friends, and many people fell into this problem. It is a really big problem that affects many families,” Alipoor explained.

He added that his mission is to raise awareness on the issue and to tell the kolbars’ stories through pictures.

Many kolbars are pushed into the profession by poverty and a lack of alternative employment, particularly in Iran's Kurdish provinces. Families of kolbars greatly suffer from attacks by Iranian border guards, as the transport of goods is often the household’s primary source of income.

The World Press is a non-profit organization and has one of the most prestigious photojournalism awards in the world. Alipoorl’s award was in the long-term projects category as the photos were taken over eight years.

“It is true that the photos are taken over eight years, but it was not like I went there especially for a photography project. I live in that area and I take photos day and night, and this is honestly just a part of my life,” Alipoor said.

“World Press was very far away from me because a Kurd had not received it, I did not know how it worked, but now that I am here, I see that we can do it,” he added.

The World Press jury said the photographer's work offers rare insight rarely covered by mainstream coverage.

“The jury felt that this project—shot in Western Iran—provides a rare and deeply nuanced perspective on the complex impacts of economic sanctions, offering a lens rarely seen in mainstream coverage. The photographer's long-term commitment and willingness to take significant personal risks to tell this story is evident in every frame. Each image stands on its own while also contributing to a broader, compelling narrative, inviting viewers to slow down, engage with each caption, and absorb the layered realities of life under sanctions,” said the jury.

Alipoor’s work also navigates social and political issues through photography, living in a place with many restrictions and censorship. 

He has also covered other topics and been nominated and won many awards.

At least 57 kolbars were killed and 282 injured by Iranian security forces in the border areas in 2024, according to the Oslo-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights' annual report. 

Shahyan Tahseen contributed to this report.

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