Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has obtained information that Rashid Naserzadeh, director of the “Shno 24” Telegram Channel and environmental activists, has been released on a bail of 200 million tomans. He was arrested by security forces on his way back to the Piranshahr-Oshnavieh (Shno in Kurdish) by security forces and taken to an unknown location on Tuesday 03, December. Naserzadeh had previously been summoned and interrogated…
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The six-year prison sentence of the Kurdish environmental activist Arman Ghafouri, issued by the Marivan Revolutionary Court last February, has been reduced to one year by the Court of Appeal in Sanandaj, a source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The verdict has been verbally served on the activist’s lawyer, and Ghafouri must report to the Marivan Prison Execution Bureau in the coming days. The Intelligence Department…
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Rashid Naserzadeh, director of the “Shno 24” Telegram Channel and environmental activist, was arrested in his way back from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq between Piranshahr and Oshnavieh (Shno in Kurdish) by the security forces on 3 December and taken to an unknown location, a source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). Nasserzadeh had previously been summoned and interrogated by security agencies for his activities. The “Shno 24” Telegram Channel…
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An environmental activist and a member of the Chelchmeh Mountaineering Group in Sanandaj were summoned to the Intelligence Office on 7 November, and released after a lengthy interrogation. Jamal Asadi was arrested earlier on 5 March after being summoned to the Sanandaj Intelligence Agency and transferred to the detention centre affiliated with the agency. He had been released a day after his arrest.
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Environmental activist Sirwan Rahimi is still being questioned at the Intelligence Detention Center of Sanandaj following passing two months over his detention. Rahimi has only managed to make two short phone calls to his family so far and he has confirmed to his family that he was still being interrogated, a source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The …
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Three Labour activists from Saqqez were summoned by the Intelligence Unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on October 13 for participation in a rally against the Turkish Army’s incursion into the north and east of Syria, known as Rojava. The three labour activists Seyed Ali Hosseini, Mahmoud Salehi, and Osman Ismaili were summoned by the Intelligence Unit of IRGC, and the security…
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Security forces arrested environmental activist Sirwan Rahimi Sept 28, 2019, a source told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). No specific information has been released as to the date of arrest and where this environmental activist is held. The Iranian security agencies arrested Sirwan Rahimi, a member of the Leylakh Green Chiyay Association, in Aug 2016 for what was described as “collaboration with one of the Kurdish…
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Kurdish environmental activist Erfan Rashidi from Paveh area has been sentenced to one year in prison and issued a two-year travel ban on charges of “propaganda against the state”, local sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). Rashidi is a member of Jiwa environmentalist organisation in Paveh. Judge Tari Verdi of Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Paveh had handed down the sentences…
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Farhad Mohammadi, a lawyer and secretary of the National Unity Party in Kurdistan, was released on bail. Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that this lawyer was released from Sanandaj Central Prison at noon on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 after a 6-month detention on a heavy bail of 500 million Tomans. This activist was arrested on Jan 4, 2019 following the massive arrest of…
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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 December to 31 December.
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 December, seven on drug-related charges and eight for “premeditated murder”, according to KHRN’s findings.
The executions took place in Ilam Central Prison, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Mahabad Prison, Jiroft Prison, Miandoab Prison, Orumiyeh Central Prison and Yazd Central Prison.
Two of those executed were women and one was a 70-year-old man.
*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.
Kolbars
In December, at least one kolbar was shot dead and another was injured by Iranian border guards.
Another kolbar lost his life due to frostbite in Baneh in late December.
Civilian killings
In mid-December, at least two Kurdish civilians were killed by the Law Enforcement Forces in Javanrud and Tehran.
Detentions and arrests
Over the past month, Iranian forces arrested at least 62 individuals, including three children.
At least three of the detained civilians were sent to Oshnavieh and Naqadeh prisons to serve prison sentences.
Sentences
During this period, Iranian courts sentenced at least eight people to punishments ranging from one month in prison to five years and 15 days of imprisonment.