Kurdish journalist Nazila Maroufian was sentenced to two years in prison, a fine of 15 million Tomans and a five-year ban on leaving Iran. The Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran charged the 23-year-old journalist with “propaganda against the state” and “publishing lies with the intention of disrupting the public mind” for publishing interviews with Mahsa Jina Amini’s father. The journalist wrote on…
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The Branch 4 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Kermanshah, western Iran, sentenced Kurdish political activist Rahim Azizi to four months in prison on charges of “acting against national security” for allegedly supporting and propagating in favour of a Kurdish opposition party. Azizi was arrested on 5 December during the recent anti-government protests in Javanrud, Kermanshah province, when security forces raided his brother’s and father’s…
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Kurdish protester Negar Davoudi has been sentenced to a total of two years and three months in jail, 74 lashes, two years ban on international travels, a year of community service and 200 hours of mandatory participation in Quran interpretation classes over her participation in the recent anti-government protests in Ilam, western Iran. The Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court and the Branch 103…
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The Special Clerical Court of Hamedan, in western Iran, has sentenced Kurdish Sunni cleric Seyyed Seyfollah Hosseini to a total of 17 years in prison, 74 lashes, and two years of living in exile in Ardabil, in north-western Iran, over charges that include “inciting people to disrupt the security of the country”. The court has also stripped Hosseini of his clerical status, Kurdistan Human Rights…
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An Iranian court has sentenced Kurdish civilian Jalal Amini to a total of three years and eight months in prison on charges of “acting against national security” through membership in a Kurdish opposition party and “propaganda against the state” in the past few days in Bukan, West Azerbaijan province. The civilian was tried in late December 2022, and his lawyer was informed of the court…
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Iran’s Special Clerical Court in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, has sentenced Kurdish cleric Younes Nowkhah to a total of four years and six months in prison over a series of charges. The clerical court has also stripped Nowkhah of his clerical status, permanently, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. According to the verdict issued by the court, which was communicated to the cleric on…
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The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, has sentenced the detained 27-year-old Kurdish civilian Towhid (Loghman) Darvish to 10 years of imprisonment in exile in Ahvaz prison and payment of 5 billion Tomans – nearly 125,000 USD – in damages to a bank. The security forces claimed that they had arrested him for “participation in setting fire to a bank” during the protests…
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The Branch 2 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in the city of Shahriar, Tehran province, has sentenced Kurdish woman Mahsa Farhadi to two years in prison in the past few days for not wearing a headscarf. The court charged the 21-year-old woman with “assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security”, Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. Security forces “beat and arrested Farhadi…
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Kurdish writer Mozhgan Kavousi has been sentenced to over five years in jail in Iran for charges that include alleged actions to “disrupt national security”. However, the charge of “corruption on earth” brought against her at her recent trial had been dropped, Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHR) has learned. The verdict was handed down by the First Branch of the Islamic Revolution Court. Her lawyers were informed on…
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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 October to 31 October.
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 based on a review of news and reports provided by the KHRN and a review of reports from other human rights organisations and news agencies.
Executions
According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least nine prisoners on drug-related charges in the prisons of Hamadan, Rasht, Khorramabad, Karaj and Khoy during the month of October.
These are the executions the KHRN has been informed of by its sources. However, the number of those executed is likely to be higher.
Civilian killings
On 28 October, Iranian state news agencies reported that a 16-year-old girl, Armita Geravand, had died after spending 28 days in a coma in the intensive care unit of Tehran’s Fajr Hospital.
Geravand was transferred to a military hospital on 1 October, and numerous news reports stated that she had been physically assaulted by government agents on the Shohada line of the Tehran metro because of her hijab.
According to various reports, Geravand had “no vital signs” from the moment she was admitted to the hospital and remained in a coma throughout her stay.
The British newspaper The Guardian reported on 5 October, citing two eyewitnesses, that Geravand had been subjected to a “physical assault” by a female morality police officer in a metro carriage. According to one witness, the morality police officer ‘violently pushed her’ after an argument.
Additionally, Iranian security forces arrested at least 15 activists and civilians, including Mohammad Geravand, a relative of Armita Geravand, during the teenager’s funeral at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran on 29 October.
Femicide
At least four women have been killed by their male family members in Sardasht, Piranshahr, Bukan and Orumiyeh in the past month.
Kolbars and tradesmen
In October, at least three kolbars were shot dead and 13 others injured by Iranian border guards in the western border areas of the country.
Landmine explosions
On 17 October, Peshawa Aliyar, a civilian from Baneh, was killed by a landmine explosion in Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Work-related accidents
On 20 October, Martin Hossein-Panahi, a 16-year-old child labourer, was killed in a factory accident in Sanandaj.
Detentions and arrests
Throughout October, Iranian forces arrested at least 29 activists and civilians, at least two of whom were imprisoned.
Prison sentences
Last month, Iranian courts sentenced at least 11 people to prison terms ranging from four months to 10 years.
Also, civilian Gholamreza Rasaei and Kurdish political prisoner Nayeb Askari were sentenced to death.
Askari, who was previously sentenced to death in absentia by the Branch Two of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, on charges of “armed insurrection” through membership of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), was sentenced to death again following a retrial request and several in-person court sessions at the same branch.