Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that Shahram Safari, a journalist and director of the Rawejpress Telegram Channel, has been sentenced to 91 days in prison on charges of “spreading lies and disturbing public opinion” by publishing statistics on the number of civilians suffering from Covid-19 disease. Shahram Safari, from Sarpol-e-Zahab in Kermanshah province, was summoned to court in April this year on…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that a Kurdish photographer Mehdi Tavakoli has been summoned by the Sanandaj Intelligence office and interrogated about his activities. He has also been told that he was not currently allowed to leave the city of Sanandaj. Mehdi Tavakoli was arrested by security forces in Sanandaj on October 12, 2016, and was transferred to Sanandaj Central Prison after…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network – Gholamreza Nouri Ala, the editor-in-chief of the Kermanshah ِDaily Naqdhall, and another of his colleagues were arrested for spreading rumours about the governor of Kermanshah being infected with Coronavirus. This news was published on the telegram channel but hours later it was revealed that it was an “April Fools”. According to the IRNA news agency, quoting Kermanshah Public Relations and…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that organizations affiliated with the Security Forces and the Judiciary of Iran are still putting pressure on the former Teachers Union activist teacher “Ramin Zandnia” and his family to stop his activities even though he left the country several ago. “In the past few days a letter has been sent by the Attorney General to Ramin…
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Security forces in Saqqez detained three family members of a Kurdish citizen Raouf Sheikhi, who lost his life six years ago in Sanandaj, while banning his memorial ceremony. Raouf Sheikhi lost his life when the vehicle in which he and two other people were travelling was shot by security forces. Security forces raided the home of Raouf Sheikhi on Friday, February 14, insulted his family…
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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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Two sources from Saqqez and Sanandaj have told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that the security forces have been widely present at the burial ceremonies of Arvin Moratab and Aida Farzaneh in Behesht-e Mohammadi of Sanandaj in addition to the burial ceremonies of Rezgar Rahimi and his son Zhivan Rahimi in Saqqez. “Despite pressure and threats from security agencies to…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that security forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have put pressure on the families of the victims who lost their lives in the Ukrainian plane crash. The Boeing 737-800 passenger plane flying to Kyiv crashed minutes after take-off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran on January 8. All the…
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Since yesterday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) continue to be present at Azadi Square in Kermanshah and Sananda where protesters have gathered after the Ukrainian passenger jet was shot down by IRGC. Eyewitnesses in the Sanandaj and Kermanshah have told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that security equipped with water spray vehicles had been present at Azadi (Iqbal) Square in Sanandaj and Azadi…
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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.