An Iranian court has sentenced Kurdish woman and environmental activist Faranak Jamshidi to four years in prison, accusing her of “membership in one of the Kurdish opposition parties”, sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The trial of Jamshidi’s case was held on 23 January, and the sentence was officially notified to her lawyer on 2 February. Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in…
Read more
Farank Jamshidi, a Kurdish environmental activist, was released from prison on a bail of 200 million Tomans after more than 4 and a half months of detention on Tuesday, November 10. This environmental activist was kept in solitary confinement of the Intelligence Office and the Sanandaj Correctional Center for 3 months and 11 days without the right to visit or contact her family. After completing…
Read more
Khabat Mafakheri, a member of the Green Society of Kurdistan who was arrested by the Sanandaj Intelligence Service on September 26, is still being held at the Intelligence Office detention centre without the right to call or visit his family, informed source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The detention of this activist has been extended twice during this period and, despite his family’s follow-up,…
Read more
”On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, security forces affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence arrested Faryad Abdi, an environmental activist and member of the Kurdistan branch of the National Unity Party, at his bookstore in Kamyaran”, a reliable source told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). ”He transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Sanandaj for interrogation.”, the source added. Faryad Abdi had previously been jailed…
Read more
Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has obtained information that Faranak Jashmidi, a member of the Green Society of Kurdistan who was arrested on July 29 by forces affiliated with the Sanandaj Intelligence Office, is still being held in custody. During this period, she was transferred to the Detention Center of the Ministry of Intelligence for interrogation during the day and returned to the Sanandaj Correctional…
Read more
“Environmental activist Dler Khosravi was released on a bail of 200 million Tomans”, a reliable source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The activist was transferred from prison to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre on April 13 and returned to prison last week after being interrogated by the security officers. On March 1, Security forces affiliated with the Sanandaj Intelligence Service arrested this member…
Read more
The detained environmental activist “Dler (Yadollah) Khosravi” has been transferred to Sanandaj Central prison after a month of interrogation. The court has set a bail of 200 million tomans for his release. On March 1, Security forces affiliated with the Sanandaj Intelligence Service arrested this member of Kurdistan’s Green Population while searching his family home in the village of Zanan. Dler Khosravi was also arrested earlier in 2007 but…
Read more
On Sunday morning, March 1, Security forces affiliated with the Sanandaj Intelligence Service arrested the environment activist “Dler (Yadollah) Khosravi” while searching his family home in the village of Zanan. Dler Khosravi is a member of Kurdistan’s Green Population. After being detained, he was transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Sanandaj and he is still under interrogation. He was also arrested earlier in…
Read more
On Thursday, February 14, Shadman Bani Bashar, an environmental activist and a member of the Chelchameh Mountaineering Group, was arrested by security forces in Sanandaj and taken to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Sanandaj, an informed source has told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). He confirmed the news of his arrest by security forces in a short call to his family.
Read more
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 May to 31 May.
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
Iran executed at least 15 prisoners in May, nine being on drug-related charges and six on charges of “premeditated murder”.
The majority of these executions took place in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Alborz Province.
*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.
Femicide
At least four Kurdish women were reported to be victims of femicide in May. Two were killed by their husbands, one by her son-in-law and one by a suitor.
All four cases occurred in Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province, and the method of murder in all cases was gunshot.
Kolbars
Last month, at least three kolbars were shot dead by Iranian border guards in the border areas of Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces, while two others were wounded in the border areas of Kurdistan Province.
Detentions and arrests
In May, Iranian forces arrested at least 27 people, six of whom were sent to prison to serve their sentences.
According to the information obtained by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), at least seven of the remaining 21 detainees were released on bail, while the situation of the other 14 remains unknown.
Sentences
During this period, Iranian courts sentenced at least seven people to prison sentences ranging from eight months to two years.
Also, the Supreme Court rejected the second appeal for a retrial of Hatem Ozdemir, a Kurdish political prisoner with Turkish citizenship, and upheld his death sentence.
Ozdemir was sentenced to death in May 2024 by Branch Three of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh). In September 2024, Branch Nine of the Supreme Court upheld the sentence.
With this latest rejection, Ozdemir’s execution is now even more imminent.
Additionally, in May, Branch 31 of the Court of Administrative Justice upheld the dismissal of Somayyeh Akhtar-Shomar, a 37-year-old Kurdish teacher from Marivan, Kurdistan Province, with 17 years of service.
The original decision to dismiss the Kurdish teacher was taken on 17 March 2024 by the Primary Disciplinary Committee of Civil Servants in Kurdistan Province.