An unexploded bomb from the Iran-Iraq war went off yesterday, killing two Kurdish civilians in Saqqez, Kurdistan province. Maghsoud Najafi and Rashid Ahmadzadeh lost their lives in the blast while grazing livestock near Bastam village of Saqqez, sources said. Reportedly, the two civilians rented a pasture in Bastam village some time ago and were engaged in animal husbandry in the area. Najafi was a resident of Marjanabad…
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Civilian Sherko Mohammadpour has lost one of his feet in a landmine explosion near the village of Beweran in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan province, on 25 May, sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). After the incident, he was taken to a hospital in Sardasht. The civilian is said to have stepped on a landmine left over from the Iran-Iraq war while grazing livestock. On 12 May,…
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A 45-year-old farmer from the village of Hasanabad in Eslamabad-e Gharb, Kermanshah province, has been severely injured due to the explosion of a landmine during work in the field in midday, on 19 May. “Hasanabad police officers have found out in their investigation that the hands and feet of a 45-year-old man were injured in the explosion of a landmine – left over from the…
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Two scrap metal vendors in Kermanshah, have lost their lives during the explosion of a landmine they found among metal scraps on 29 April, sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The civilians Mohammad Bazvand and Mohammad Rasoul Rahimi were residents of Kermanshah. Every year, large numbers of civilians in the western and southern border provinces are killed by landmines left over from the war.
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A civilian has been severely injured in a landmine explosion in the village of Maleh Dizgeh in Sarpol-e Zahab, Kurdish Kermanshah province, on 30 January, sources told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).Reportedly, the injured civilian, Saman Rezaei, was taken to a hospital in Kermanshah after the incident and one of his ankles was amputated.Every year, dozens of civilians in the border areas, especially…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN): A Kurdish civilian named Qader Dalaei-Milan was seriously injured in a landmine explosion near the village of “Sheikh Salo” in Chaldoran, West Azerbaijan Province on Sunday, December 14. It is said that the mine explosion occurred while he was grazing cattle ranching. He is currently hospitalized in Mako City. According to statistics compiled by KHRN, a landmine also exploded in October, amputated…
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On Saturday, Nov 21, a Kurdish civilian named Aziz Ronma died as a result of a mine explosion in one of the border areas of Oshnavieh, West Azerbaijan Province, a local source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The 42-year-old resident of the village of “Poleh” in Oshnoyeh lost his life due to sustaining serious injuries in a landmine explosion while shepherding livestock in…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that a Kurdish civilian ‘Khosrow Hassani’ was injured in a landmine explosion in Mariwan on Wednesday, October 7. The 38-year-old civilian is said to have been hit by a landmine while collecting iron debris and suffered serious injuries to his wrist.
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A Kurdish civilian Mohammad Salehi was injured by the blast of a landmine while collecting spring plants in the mountainous areas of Hermi Dol village in Baneh of Kurdistan province. He was taken to a hospital in Saqqez for treatment. The landmines left from the Iran-Iraq war claims the life dozens of victims in Iran Kurdistan annually. The mine blast occurred in an area where Iranian authorities…
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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 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.