The second branch of the Court of Appeals in Van, south-eastern Turkey, has upheld the six-year, three-month prison sentence handed down to Kurdish environmental activist and former political prisoner Mahyar Ahmadi from Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province. Ahmadi, who was arrested on 12 September 2023 by Turkish border guards at the border between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Turkey, was sentenced by a Turkish court in…
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Omid Ghadimi, the brother of Foad Ghadimi, a protester killed during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising in Divandarreh, Kurdistan Province, has been sentenced to a total of 40 months in prison and a fine of 85 million rials – nearly 150 USD. The Islamic Revolutionary Court in Divandarreh charged Ghadimi with “membership of the Komala [Party of Iranian Kurdistan]”, “propaganda activities against the state”, and…
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Sasan Chamanara, a Kurdish artist and civil rights activist from Ilam, has been sentenced to three months in prison and fined 200 million rials (around 350 USD) by Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Ilam on charges of “propaganda against the state in favour of opposition groups and media”. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Chamanara was summoned to the…
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Iran has sentenced to death 27-year-old Kurdish prisoner from Orumiyeh Shahin Vasaf on charges of espionage for Israel, a reliable source told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). This is the first time a credible source confirms his death sentence, issued on 2 October 2023. Shahin Vasaf, along with another Kurdish citizen Naser Vasaf, was detained by the intelligence forces in Orumiyeh on 21 September 2022. They…
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Fatemeh Sheikhi, a 22-year-old civilian from Abdanan in Ilam province, has been sentenced to one year in prison for “insulting sacred beliefs,” with the court opting to suspend the sentence for two years. Sheikhi’s trial took place on 7 February in Branch 101 of Abdanan Criminal Court Two, presided over by Judge Mohammad Gholami, and the verdict was handed down to the civilian on 12…
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Seven Kurdish civilians and activists from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, have been collectively sentenced to imprisonment, flogging, and additional penalties. The sentence was handed down by Branch 105 of the Saqqez Criminal Court Two, presided over by Judge Javad Mostafaei. The individuals, including Safa Aeli, the uncle of Jina Amini, Hiva Jahani, Sherko (Khaled) Hejazi, Hiva Tataei, Mohammad Azad Amini, Samira Ahmadi, and Omid Moghaddas, were…
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The Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, has sentenced seven Kurdish civilians and activists from Saqqez in a joint case. The individuals, including Safa Aeli, the uncle of Jina Amini, Hiva Jahani, Sherko (Khaled) Hejazi, Hiva Tataei, Mohammad Azad Amini, Samira Ahmadi, and Omid Moghaddas, were charged with offenses such as “assembly and collusion against domestic/external security”, “propaganda against the…
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Mohammad Khezrnezhad, a 45-year-old Sunni Kurdish cleric, has been sentenced to death and 16 years in prison by Branch Three of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province. The charges against him include “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel arz), “harming the territorial integrity or independence of the country”, and “propaganda against the state”. A source familiar with the case told the Kurdistan Human…
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Kurdish political prisoners Pezhman Fatehi, Mohsen Mazloum, Mohammad Faramarzi, and Vafa Azarbar, who have been sentenced to death, have had their request for a retrial rejected by the Supreme Court, according to their lawyer, Masoud Shamsnejad. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on 16 January, Shamsnejad said: “The request for a retrial on behalf of my clients Vafa Azarbar, Mohammad Faramarzi, Mohsen…
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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.