Kurdistan Human Rights Network

Three prisoners are at imminent risk of having their four fingers amputated after the judicial authorities in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, announced that a guillotine would be transferred to the city’s central prison in the coming days. On 14 April, prisoners Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Shahivand, and Mehdi Sharafian were summoned to the Enforcement of Judgements Office of Orumiyeh Central Prison, where Orumiyeh’s Deputy Prosecutor, Saeid…

Taha Hassani, a 23-year-old man from Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, was executed in the city prison on 7 April on charges of “premeditated murder”. Hassani was arrested about five years ago and later sentenced to death for “premeditated murder”.

Eight labour and civil rights activists appeared today before Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, facing charges of “propaganda against the state” and “disturbing public order and peace”. The defendants – Susan Razani, Seyyed Khaled Hosseini, Jamal Asadi, Farshid Abdollahi, Eghbal Shabani, Fardin Miraki, Sheys Amani, and Arman Salimi – were previously summoned to Branch Two of the Public and…

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 March to 31 March. The restrictive environment for independent human rights…

Branch Nine of the Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou, a Kurdish political prisoner from Chaldoran, West Azerbaijan Province. The sentence, originally handed down in July 2024 by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, was based on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi) for alleged membership of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). His appeal,…

Hiwa Bahin, a Kurdish political prisoner serving a six-month sentence in Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, has been transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison without legal justification, raising concerns about possible further prosecution. Bahin, who was being held in Bukan Prison, was transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison about 10 days ago without prior notice, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. In a short phone call to…

Hadi Rostami, a prisoner from Ilam, Ilam Province, has written an open letter to human rights organisations, urging them to intervene and stop the imminent execution of his amputation sentence. “I call on human rights organisations, the United Nations, and all international bodies to take urgent action to prevent the execution of this inhumane sentence”, he said in his letter. Rostami, along with two co-defendants, Mehdi…

Kurdish women activists Baran Saedi and Leyla Pashaei, who were arrested after taking part in an International Women’s Day event in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, have been provisionally released on bail. The activists were arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence following the 8 March rally and taken to the ministry’s detention centre in the city, where they were held in solitary confinement for 10…

Kamran Kazemi, a 38-year-old Kurdish man from Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province, died in suspicious circumstances in recent weeks at the Criminal Investigation Department detention centre in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province. While police officials have attributed his death to suicide, fellow detainees claim he was tortured to death by officers. Kazemi was arrested in mid-January on charges of “theft” from the home of Peyman Khanzadeh, the head of…