Since 2008, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have destroyed a large part of Shaho and Kosalan areas known as protected areas by building military bases in the highlands of Shaho and Koshelan mountains in addition to carrying out massive military operations on the pretext of fighting the forces of Kurdish parties. The Protected areas of Shaho and Kosalan with an area of 57,236…
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Despite the announcement that the manoeuvre of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) (known as Muharram 2) in Shaho mountain areas of Kamyaran has finished, the IRGC troops, are planning to build new bases in the Protected Area of Shaho while taking tight security measures in addition to harassing villagers and environmental activists. It is noteworthy that this manoeuvre was widely criticised by environmental activists. According…
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The Sanandaj Prosecutor’s Office refused to temporarily release an environmental activist called Sahar Kazemi (held at Sanandaj Central Prison) who was arrested by the security forces on Aug 9, 2018. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that the environmental activist has been transferred to Intelligence Ministry’s Detention Centre in the city of Sanandaj daily for 72 days, interrogated and returned back to…
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Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) bombarded a large area of Shaho mountain ranges in Ghale Pir Khedr, which Led to widespread fires in Shahu. Several villagers of Shahu mountain ranges have told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that the IRGC forces, with massive military convoys transferred to IRGC bases in the Shaho Mountain during the past several weeks, severley bombarded Ghale Pir Khedr in the…
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The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp, in coordination with the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has turned the Kurdish cities such as Sanandaj, Kamyaran, Shaho, Paweh, Mariwan and Sarwabad into a military garrison through dispatching massive military convoys from neighbouring provinces during the recent weeks. Findings of Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) indicate that, following a massive strike in the bazaar of…
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Despite the consistent enquiries made by the family of the environmental activist, Kaveh Babamoradi, during the past three months, there is still no news about his fate. According to Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), this civil activist (who is a member of the Chia Sabz Community in Sanandaj) is one of the many Kurdish environmental activists who have been recently. He was arrested by…
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Following the arrest of dozens of citizen and activists in Kamyaran, Ravansar, Sababdaj, Mariwan, Shno, Bukan and Oroumiyeh by security forces over the past two months, only 9 of the detainees were finally released on bail in the past few days. However, there is still no information about the fate of the other detainees. According to Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), on Saturday, Sept…
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After 37 days in which no information has been received about the fate of Arman Ghafouri and a news release on some Kurdish websites that he was killed in the Sanandaj Intelligence Detention Centre, there is a serious concern about his fate. According to Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), there is still no information available about the fate of Arman Ghafouri, a student at Payam-e-Nour…
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On the evening of Monday, Aug 20, 2018, security forces raided the house of an environmental activist called Moslem Sobhani in Sanandaj and confiscated a number of his personal belongings while arresting and transferring him to an unknown location. Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that on the evening of Aug 20, the security forces of Sanandaj have raided the house of Moslem…
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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 October to 31 October.
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 based on a review of news and reports provided by the KHRN and a review of reports from other human rights organisations and news agencies.
Executions
According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least nine prisoners on drug-related charges in the prisons of Hamadan, Rasht, Khorramabad, Karaj and Khoy during the month of October.
These are the executions the KHRN has been informed of by its sources. However, the number of those executed is likely to be higher.
Civilian killings
On 28 October, Iranian state news agencies reported that a 16-year-old girl, Armita Geravand, had died after spending 28 days in a coma in the intensive care unit of Tehran’s Fajr Hospital.
Geravand was transferred to a military hospital on 1 October, and numerous news reports stated that she had been physically assaulted by government agents on the Shohada line of the Tehran metro because of her hijab.
According to various reports, Geravand had “no vital signs” from the moment she was admitted to the hospital and remained in a coma throughout her stay.
The British newspaper The Guardian reported on 5 October, citing two eyewitnesses, that Geravand had been subjected to a “physical assault” by a female morality police officer in a metro carriage. According to one witness, the morality police officer ‘violently pushed her’ after an argument.
Additionally, Iranian security forces arrested at least 15 activists and civilians, including Mohammad Geravand, a relative of Armita Geravand, during the teenager’s funeral at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran on 29 October.
Femicide
At least four women have been killed by their male family members in Sardasht, Piranshahr, Bukan and Orumiyeh in the past month.
Kolbars and tradesmen
In October, at least three kolbars were shot dead and 13 others injured by Iranian border guards in the western border areas of the country.
Landmine explosions
On 17 October, Peshawa Aliyar, a civilian from Baneh, was killed by a landmine explosion in Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Work-related accidents
On 20 October, Martin Hossein-Panahi, a 16-year-old child labourer, was killed in a factory accident in Sanandaj.
Detentions and arrests
Throughout October, Iranian forces arrested at least 29 activists and civilians, at least two of whom were imprisoned.
Prison sentences
Last month, Iranian courts sentenced at least 11 people to prison terms ranging from four months to 10 years.
Also, civilian Gholamreza Rasaei and Kurdish political prisoner Nayeb Askari were sentenced to death.
Askari, who was previously sentenced to death in absentia by the Branch Two of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, on charges of “armed insurrection” through membership of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), was sentenced to death again following a retrial request and several in-person court sessions at the same branch.