In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of Kurdish civilians in different regions and cities across Iran.

This report includes all cases recorded and reported by KHRN from across Iran through its own sources and verification mechanisms from 1 February to 29 February.

The restrictive environment for independent human rights organisations in Iran, coupled with the pressures faced by individuals subjected to human rights violations and their families, make it difficult to publish accurate and comprehensive reports.

It is therefore important to note that the statistics and information presented in this report do not cover all cases of human rights violations. This report is the result of examining news and reports published by the KHRN and fact-checking of reports published by other human rights organisations and news websites.

Executions

According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least one prisoner in February, identified as Iraj Paki.

Paki was a 38-year-old father of three children who was arrested about four years ago on drug trafficking charges.

*Explanation: The KHRN, recognizing the fundamental right to life, publishes and records news and execution statistics without regard to the ethnic background of individuals and the location of the execution. All cases reported to the organisation by credible sources are published after thorough fact-checking.

Civilian killings

On 27 February, law enforcement forces opened fire on a private car in the village of Savan in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan Province, resulting in the death of Kurdish tradesman Kavan Amjadi-Nia.

Law enforcement forces stationed at a checkpoint in the village followed Amjadi-Nia’s car, cornered it and fired at it even though there were no foreign goods in the vehicle.

Deaths and killings in prisons

On 26 February, Kurdish political prisoner Shahin Gallehdari took his own life due to the pressure and torture by the Ministry of Intelligence.

Gallehdari, 50, from the village of Haki in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, was serving a two-year sentence in Orumiyeh Central Prison.

Landmine explosions

In February, landmine explosions in Gilan-e Gharb, Kermanshah Province, resulted in the death of one person and injuries to three others.

Kolbars and tradesmen

In February, at least two kolbars were shot dead by Iranian border guards and one died of frostbite in the western border areas of the country.

A total of 50 kolbars were injured during this period. Of these, 41 were shot by Iranian border guards, three were injured in road accidents, two fell from heights at the border, two fell while being chased by border guards, one was stabbed by border guards and one was beaten by border guards.

Work-related accidents

At least two workers died in work-related accidents in Kermanshah and Orumiyeh in the past month.

Detentions and arrests

Throughout February, Iranian forces arrested at least 29 civilians, including seven activists and two artists.

At least six of the detained civilians were sent to prisons in Sanandaj, Bukan, Naqadeh, and Oshnavieh to serve prison sentences.

Sentences

In the past month, Iranian courts have sentenced at least 17 people to punishments ranging from fines to the death penalty.

Executions

NameFromCharged withExecution dateExecution locationExplanation
1Iraj PakiSalmasDrug trafficking19 FebArdabil Central Prison38-year-old father of three, arrested about four years ago

Civilian killings

NameFromLocationDateOrganisationExplanation
1Kavan Amjadi-NiaSardashtSavan village, Sardasht27 FebLaw enforcement forcesHis car, which was not carrying any foreign goods, was chased and shot at

Deaths and killings in prisons

NameFromLocationCharged withDateExplanation
1Shahin GallehdariOrumiyehOrumiyeh Central PrisonActing against national security by collaboration with PKK26 FebCommitted suicide due to pressure and torture from Ministry of Intelligence

Landmine explosions

NameLocation of IncidentDate of incidentStatusExplanation
1Iraj MahmoudiGilan-e Gharb6 FebKilledFrom Gilangharb, died due to severity of his injuries on 12 February
2UnknownGilan-e Gharb6 FebInjured
3UnknownGilan-e Gharb6 FebInjured
4UnknownGilan-e Gharb17 FebInjured

Kolbars and tradesmen

NameFromIncident locationIncident dateDead/InjuredExplanation
1Sina AhmadiSaqqezBaneh1 FebInjured23 years old, shot by border guards
2Kouhsar RostamnezhadPavehNowsud2 FebInjuredShot by border guards, bullet hit his pupil and he was taken to the hospital for treatment. In the past year, two other brothers of the kolbar were also injured by gunfire from border forces.
3Diako MohammadiDivandarrehBaneh2 FebInjured17 years old, shot by border guards
4Mehdi SalemSalas-e BabajaniShaho Saryas route3 FebInjuredRoad accident
5Khalil MesriSalas-e BabajaniShaho Saryas route3 FebInjuredRoad accident, condition critical
6UnknownSalas-e BabajaniShaho Saryas route3 FebInjuredRoad accident
7Hamzeh YousefiSalas-e BabajaniNowsud4 FebInjuredShot by border guards
8Mansour Pir-VeysiSalas-e BabajaniNowsud4 FebInjuredShot by border guards
9Khalegh AboubakriBanehBaneh4 FebInjuredShot by border guards
10Ali AboubakriBanehBaneh4 FebInjuredShot by border guards
11Nasser BariBanehBaneh4 FebInjuredShot by border guards
12Hemin (surname unknown)BanehBaneh4 FebInjuredShot by border guards
13Nariman AziziJavanrudNowsud5 FebInjuredShot by border guards
14Nezam TeymouriSaqqezBaneh5 FebInjured38 years old, shot by border guards
15Sirvan SharifiBanehBaneh5 FebInjured21 years old, shot by border guards
16Farid RoubinaMarivanMarivan6 FebDiedFrostbite
17Hassel KouraniMahabadBaneh7 FebInjured20 years old, shot by border guards
18Soran RahimiSaqqezBaneh7 FebInjured19 years old, shot by border guards
19Ayoub MahmoudiBanehBaneh7 FebInjured35 years old, shot by border guards
20Yousef MahabadiMahabadBaneh9 FebInjured26 years old, first beaten by border guards and then shot from a few meters away
21Farzad (surname unknown)UnknownBaneh9 FebInjuredFirst beaten by border guards and then shot from a few meters away
22Rashad BabaeiSanandajTateh in Nowsud9 FebInjuredFalling from a height during the pursuit of border guards
23Belal ShahrokhPavehNowsud9 FebInjuredFalling from a height
24Seyvan SahihiBanehBaneh11 FebKilled20 years old, shot by border guards
25Mohammad BahramiBanehBaneh11 FebInjuredShot by border guards
26Zanyar MohammadiSaqqezBaneh11 FebInjured29 years old, shot by border guards
27Delshad (surname unknown)SardashtBaneh14 FebInjuredShot by border guards
28Saadi MahmoudiPiranshahrHaji Omaran, Piranshahr16 FebInjuredShot by border guards
29Omid AzariPiranshahrHaji Omaran, Piranshahr16 FebInjuredShot by border guards
30Salman AmiriMarivanNowsud16 FebInjuredFalling from a height
31Jalal RahmaniBukanBaneh18 FebInjuredBeaten and shot by border guards
32Ako (surname unknown)UnknownBaneh18 FebInjuredBeaten and shot by border guards
33Rahman RahmanizadehSalas-e BabajaniNowsudMid FebInjuredBeaten by border guards
34Foad KargarJavanrudNowsud21 FebInjuredShot by border guards, father of two children
35Fazel MalekiJavanrudNowsud21 FebInjuredShot by border guards
36Soheyb (surname unknown)JavanrudNowsud21 FebInjuredShot by border guards
37Kazem OsmaniSaqqezSaqqez21 FebInjuredShot by border guards
38Yasin FallahiMarivanNowsud23 FebInjuredFalling from a height during the pursuit of border guards
39Milad RoustaeiSalas-e BabajaniNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
40Farzad (surname unknown)UnknownNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
41Behnam KhosraviJavanrudNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
42Hossein BahramiJavanrudNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
43Meysam RostamiPavehNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
44Foad FeyziSanandajNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
45Mobin KaramiSanandajNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
46Yahya NouriSarvabad, MarivanNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
47Meysam AminiSalas-e BabajaniNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
48Arman RahmaniSalas-e BabajaniNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
49Mahmoud KaramiSalas-e BabajaniNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
50Amir RahmaniDalahuNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
51Farzad RostamiDalahuNowsud24 FebInjuredShot by border guards
52Jafar FarajiSaqqezBaneh26 FebKilledShot by border guards
53Taher (surname unknown)Salas-e BabajaniNowsud26 FebInjuredStabbed by border guards

Work-related accidents

NameIncident locationIncident dateDied/InjuredExplanation
1UnknownKermanshah5 FebDiedFell from a height
2Houshang RaseghOrumiyehEarly FebDiedGas poisoning

Detentions and arrests

NameDetention locationDetention dateActivityLocation held and latest status
1Yasin AbarianPiranshahr3 FebCivilianTaken to Naqadeh prison
2Eisa EbrahimzadehOshnavieh4 FebLabour activist
3Zhila HojebriMarivanEarly FebPolitical activistTaken to Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj to serve 3 years and 8 months of imprisonment
4Hassan MardaniBukan5 FebCivilianTaken to Bukan Prison to serve 3 years of imprisonment
5Loghman PishniyarBukan5 FebCivilianTaken to Bukan Prison to serve 3 years of imprisonment
6Eisa EbrahimzadehOshnavieh6 FebLabour activistTaken to Naqadeh Prison to serve 4 years of imprisonment
7Asad MohammadiSanandaj6 FebCivil rights activistTaken to Sanandaj Prison to serve 1 year of imprisonment
8Soran PachidehMahabad6 FebCivilian
9Zobeyr Hossein-PanahiDehgolan7 FebCivilianBeaten and arrested after visiting the family home of Mohammad Faramarzi
10Abbas Hossein-PanahiDehgolan7 FebCivilianBeaten and arrested after visiting the family home of Mohammad Faramarzi
11Karzan AsemKamyaran7 FebCivilian
12Yasser HosseiniKamyaran12 FebCivilian
13Sajjad MalekshahiQorveh12 FebCivilianArrested for releasing a video in which he called for a boycott of the elections
14Kaveh ChoupaniDivandarreh13 FebCivilian
15Hossein Saed-MucheshiKamyaran13 FebCivilian
16Mostafa Zaher-ZohourSanandaj13 FebCivil rights activist and mountaineerReleased on bail on 19 February
17Shaban MoridiJavanrud13 FebCivilianPreviously arrested during the protests of November 2019 and the protests of 2022. His arrest was accompanied by violence.
18Babak MohammadiSanandaj13 FebSinger and artistArrested for insulting IRGC, was forced to apologize to this security institution in a video
19Ali BaghadamMarivan13 FebCivilian
20Sirvan BazarganMarivan13 FebCivilian
21Hamed AminiMarivan14 FebCivilianSecurity forces, who covered their faces, first took his child hostage, and released the child after arresting him
22Pedram Hossein-PanahiSanandaj15 FebCivilian
23Ako MohammadniaSanandaj15 FebCivilian
24Rashad ParviziKamyaran17 FebMember of Nozhin Socio-Cultural Association
25Hemin NikpeyMarivan18 FebCivilian
26Zana MenbariSanandaj20 FebCivilian23 years old
27Dana LanjabadiMarivan20 FebCivil rights activist and former political prisonerArrested by the Ministry of Intelligence
28Mehran RahimiQuchan21 FebArtistReleased on bail on 24 February
29Abdolkarim KakoulOshnavieh22 FebCivilianTaken to Oshnavieh prison to serve 1 year of imprisonment

Sentences

NameResident ofCharged withDate sentencedIssuing courtSentence
1Mohammad KhezrnezhadBukanSpreading corruption on earth, undermining the integrity or independence of the country, propaganda against the statemid-FebBranch Three of Islamic Revolutionary Court in OrumiyehDeath penalty and 16 years of imprisonment
2Safa AeliSaqqezPreparing means of committting crimes to disturb public order, disturbing the public mind through the publication of lies in cyberspace6 FebBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 220 months and 33 days in prison and 74 lashes, which was commuted to free community service
3Samira AhmadiSaqqezPreparing means of committing crimes to disturb public order6 FebBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 28 months of imprisonment and 70 lashes
4Hiva JahaniSaqqezPreparing means of committing crimes to disturb public order6 FebBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 28 months of imprisonment and 70 lashes
5Omid MoghaddasSaqqezPreparing means of committing crimes to disturb public order6 FebBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 28 months of imprisonment and 70 lashes
6Mohammad Azad AminiSaqqezPreparing means of committing crimes to disturb public order6 FebBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 28 months of imprisonment and 70 lashes
7Hiva TataeiSaqqezPreparing means of committing crimes to disturb public order6 FebBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 28 months of imprisonment and 70 lashes
8Sherko HejaziSaqqezPreparing means of committing crimes to disturb public order6 FebBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 28 months of imprisonment and 70 lashes
9Safa AeliSaqqezInvolvement in assembly and collusion against national security, propaganda against the state, insulting the leader of the Islamic Republic7 FebBranch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in SaqqezA total of 5 years, 4 months and 18 days of imprisonment
10Samira AhmadiSaqqezInvolvement in assembly and collusion against national security7 FebBranch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in Saqqez3 years imprisonment and ban on leaving the country for 2 years
11Hiva GlobalSaqqezInvolvement in assembly and collusion against national security7 FebBranch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in SaqqezFine of 350 million rials
12Omid MoghaddasSaqqezInvolvement in assembly and collusion against national security7 FebBranch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in SaqqezFine of 350 million rials
13Mohammad Azad AminiSaqqezInvolvement in assembly and collusion against national security7 FebBranch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in Saqqez3 years imprisonment
14Hiva TataiSaqqezInvolvement in assembly and collusion against national security7 FebBranch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in Saqqez3 years and 6 months of imprisonment and ban on leaving the country for 2 years as additional punishment
15Sherko HejaziSaqqezInvolvement in assembly and collusion against national security, membership in opposition groups in the country7 FebBranch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in Saqqez6 years and 1 month and 17 days of imprisonment and 2 years ban on leaving the country as additional punishment
16Fatemeh SheikhiAbdanan, IlamInsulting the sacred12 FebBranch 101 of Abdanan Criminal Court 21 year imprisonment
17Ebrahim RasoulpourNaqadehCollaboration with one of the opposition Kurdish parties of the Iranian government13 FebBranch 103 of Naqadeh Criminal Court1 year imprisonment