Yahya Sarkhani, an environmental activist who lost the sight in one eye during the anti-government Women, Life, Freedom protests, has been sentenced in absentia to 32 months in prison by the Islamic
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Branch 102 of the Criminal Court Two in Dehgolan, Kurdistan Province, has sentenced Kurdish civil rights activist Mohammad Rezaei to one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the
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The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, has sentenced Kurdish citizen Ramin Khaledi Hassan-Abadi to five years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion to
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The Supreme Court has overturned the death sentences of five Kurdish citizens – Ali (Soran) Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, and Teyfour Salimi Babamiri – and
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A court in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, has sentenced a Kurdish man to death and six others to ten years and one day in prison each on charges related to alleged “armed insurrection”
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Kurdish prisoners Nasser Bekrzadeh and Shahin Vasaf, whose initial death sentences were overturned by the Supreme Court, were resentenced in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province. At a retrial in
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Shahab Darabi, a truck driver and blogger from Eslamabad-e Gharb in Kermanshah Province, has been sentenced to a total of five years and one day in prison for his social media activities and for
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Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, has sentenced five Kurdish men – Ali (Soran) Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rizgar Beygzadeh
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The Special Clerical Court in Hamadan has sentenced Kurdish Sunni cleric Barzan Maleki to one year in prison and permanently stripped him of his clerical status on charges of “propaganda against
Read moreIn its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of Kurdish citizens 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 April to 30 April 2026.
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.
Detentions and arrests
In April, at least 12 individuals were arrested across West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Ilam provinces. Those arrested included two language teachers, while in 10 cases their specific activities remain unknown.
Of the total number of arrests, 10 were made in West Azerbaijan Province, one in Kurdistan Province, and one in Ilam Province.
Sentences
In April, Mohsen Eslamkhah, a 20-year-old Kurdish citizen who was arrested in connection with the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising in Bukan, was sentenced to death on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) by Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mahabad.
Additionally, Branch 39 of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Nasser Bakerzadeh, a 26-year-old Kurdish prisoner in Orumiyeh Central Prison; he was subsequently executed on 2 May.
Three PDKI members killed in IRGC attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan
On 17 April, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) killed at least three members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in drone and missile strikes on civilian camps and party installations in Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The attacks took place despite a two-week ceasefire having been announced between the United States, Israel, and Iran, at the time, and killed Neda Miri from Sanandaj, Samira Allah-Yari from Divandarreh, and Shahin Azarbarzin from Piranshahr.