Refugees caught on the Van-Iran border are robbed by the Turkish military and kept for days in the snow.

Hundreds of people were killed and thousands were arrested in the protest demonstrations that continued for more than three months in Iran and Eastern Kurdistan. Those fleeing Iran are trying to come to the border city of Van, but they are being tortured by Turkish soldiers on the border.

The border, whose temperature is well below zero in the winter months, has become a tool of death and torture for refugees. Many refugees who do not cross the border are caught by the Turkish military and tortured by Turkish soldiers.

In December, a group of Iranians trying to cross from Iran to Van were robbed and laid naked on the snow after being caught by Turkish soldiers. The group, aged between 15 and 30, was subjected to torture for hours.

A 35-year-old Persian protester, who was tortured by Turkish soldiers, said: “I live in Tehran. After the murder of Jîna Amini, I fought against Iran in the field. We have never taken a step back. The authorities learned that I had joined the resistance. That's why they raided my house almost every day. They arrested my family many times and tortured them. My family sent me to Turkey because they feared I would be killed if I stayed. I didn't want to come. I wanted to continue the resistance, but they also threatened my family with death. That's why I had to leave Iran. When I got to Van, the Turkish soldiers caught me and the 5 people who were with me. They tortured us for days. They tortured us in the snow for hours. They left us all in bruises. The soldiers then left us on the Iranian side. In order not to fall into the hands of the Iranian state, I crossed over to Turkey again by other means.”