The forces of Security and Intelligence Services of Turkey (MI) beat up the family of a Kurdish asylum seeker activist in Turkey and kidnapped two members of the family and transferred them to a security detention centre. “At 18:30 on Nov 18, 2017, the family of Sheida Rahimi (Kurdish asylum seeker activist) was beaten up while returning to their place of residence in Istanbul by…
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Last week, a citizen of Sanandaj, who was arrested following street celebrations in support of the referendum for Kurdistan Independence was released on bail while two other citizens were detained by security forces in Sanandaj and Dehgolan. “On Monday, Nov 6, 2017, Shahram Babaie from Sanandaj who was arrested on Aug 25, 2017, was released on a bail of 100 million Tomans,” An informed source…
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Following armed conflicts between one of the Kurdish parties and the border guards and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at Chaldoran border point in the past two weeks, at least six Kurdish citizens have been detained by IRGC Intelligence Office According to the reports received by Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), IRGC troops have raided the houses of a number of Kurdish citizens in Maku…
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On Wednesday, Oct 25, 2017, following the report about a vehicle with four members of one of the Kurdish parties crossing Chaldoran border point, the forces of Hamza Seyyid Alshohada Base in Orumiyeh targeted the vehicle without giving prior warning to the passengers. All the six passengers in the vehicle were all killed. The following day, Tasnim News Agency published the announcement of the IRGC…
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In the past few days, three detainees from Baneh, who had been arrested during street celebrations in support of the referendum for Kurdistan Independence, were released on bail. Reports received by Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) indicate that three Baneh citizens -including Fouad Hossein Zadeh, Zanyar Maroufi and Naseh Khazari- arrested on the evening of Monday, Sept 25, 2017, were released on bail on Saturday,…
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Dozens of Kurdish citizens arrested during street celebrations in support of referendum for Kurdistan Independence are still being held in the Detention Centres except for some detainees who were recently released on bail. Reports received by Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) indicate that 7 Baneh citizens -including Fouad Hossein Zadeh, Zanjan Maroufi, Soroush Mohammadi, Danial Ahmadi, Sarou Ahmadi, Hoshyar Shabani and Naseh Khazari- arrested on…
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A Kurdish citizen of Turkey who had travelled to Orumiyeh to visit his family in May was arrested by security forces and sentenced to five years of Imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh on charges of cooperating with one of the Kurdish parties. “In late June, a Kurdish citizen called Rahim Turgut residing in the city of Gever (Bakurê Kurdistanê/Turkish Kurdistan) was arrested by…
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Following the gathering of Kurdish citizens in various cities of Kurdistan to celebrate and support the referendum for Kurdistan Independence on the evening of Monday, Sept 25, 2017, anti-riot police forces arrested thousands of citizens. There is still no information on the fate of detainees who were then transferred to the Security and Intelligence Police Detention Centres. “A week after the gathering of the Iranian…
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In the past few days, Iranian security forces have arrested several Kurdish citizens in various cities of Kurdistan where there is also high security alert due to the widespread presence of anti-riot and plain-clothes forces. According to the latest reports received by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), following a gathering to support the referendum on the independence of Kurdistan on the evening of Monday,…
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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.