The Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan province, has sentenced an activist of the LGBTI and queer rights named Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani (Sareh) and another civilian named Elham Choubdar to the death penalty. The court charged them with “spreading corruption on earth” (fasad fil-arz) by allegedly “promoting homosexuality” and “forming corruption and prostitution gangs”. The two prisoners were informed of the sentence in the women’s ward…
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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…
In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…
Joint explanation of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN, or Network) and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran (ABC, or Center):…
In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…
This report details cases of femicide, suspicious deaths of women, as well as the arrest and imprisonment of Kurdish women activists and their removal…
This 2023 report details human rights violations of the Kurds in Iran. As in previous years, the violations span across the spectrum of linguistic,…
In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…
In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…
Joint explanation of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (Network) and the “Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran (ABC): This case is a…
Joint explanation of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (Network) and the “Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran (ABC): This case is a…
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 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
According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least four prisoner in March for “premeditated murder”.
Two of the prisoners were executed in Mahabad Prison, in West Azerbaijan Province, and two in Ilam Central Prison.
*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.
Femicide
In the first half of March, three women were killed by their male family members in Orumiyeh and Kermanshah.
Landmine explosions
In March, landmine explosions resulted in injuries to four people, including two kolbars, in Mehran in Ilam Province, Paveh in Kermanshah Province, and Marivan in Kurdistan Province.
Kolbars and tradesmen
In March, at least five kolbars were shot dead by Iranian border guards, two died of frostbite, two died as a result of falling from the border heights, one was tortured to death by Iranian security forces, one died of a heart attack, one died in a road accident and another died as a result of the overturning of a car chased by police.
A total of 60 kolbars were injured during this period. Of these, 38 were shot by Iranian border guards, nine fell from heights at the border, four were injured in landmine explosions, three were beaten by border guards, two were beaten by Iraqi border guards, two were injured in road accidents, one was injured by stones thrown by border guards, and one was injured in a car that fell from heights at the border.
The identities of three of the kolbars injured in falls from border heights remain unknown and are therefore not included in the table in this report.
Detentions and arrests
Throughout March, Iranian forces arrested at least 20 civilians, including a child and two artists.
At least four of the detained civilians were sent to prisons in Marivan, Saqqez, Naqadeh, and Ilam to serve prison sentences.
Sentences
In the past month, Iranian courts have sentenced at least four people to punishments ranging from three months to 13 years in prison.
Security forces wound two young men
On 21 March, security forces attacked a group of young people in Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province, for playing music and having fun. As a result of the forces’ shooting, two Kurdish youths, Mohammad Ahmadian and Arman Basiri, were seriously injured in the leg.
The incident took place in the Eastern Park near the historical site of Tagh-e Bostan.
Name | From | Charged with | Execution date | Execution location | Explanation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fakhraddin Mangournezhad | Oshnavieh | Premeditated murder | 7 Mar | Mahabad prison | |
2 | Abbas Dadvar | Mahabad | Premeditated murder | 7 Mar | Mahabad prison | |
3 | Moein Salavarzizadeh | Abdanan, Ilam Province | Premeditated murder | 11 Mar | Ilam Central Prison | 58 years old, executed after 32 years of imprisonment for killing his brother |
4 | Mansour Mansouri | Sarableh, Ilam Province | Premeditated murder | 11 Mar | Ilam Central Prison | 34 years old, his execution was carried out faster due to the pressure of the security institutions on the victim’s family |
Name | Incident location | Incident date | Explanation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ziba Sayyad | Orumiyeh | 10 Mar | 27 years old, divorced after enduring domestic violence for a long time, shot dead by ex-husband shortly after the divorce |
2 | Parivash Bayat | Kermanshah | 14 Mar | Maryam Razmjou’s mother, shot dead by son-in-law |
3 | Maryam Razmjou | Kermanshah | 14 Mar | Shot dead by husband due to a family dispute, her brother Sadegh Razmjou was also killed in the shooting |
Name | Location of incident | Date of incident | Status | Explanation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Unknown | Mehran | 5 Mar | Injured | |
2 | Unknown | Mehran | 5 Mar | Injured | |
3 | Mohammad Mirani | Paveh | 7 Mar | Amputation | Kolbar, landmine explosion in the border areas of Nowsud |
4 | Aboubakr Rostamian | Marivan | 7 Mar | Injured | Kolbar, landmine explosion in the border areas of Nowsud |
Name | From | Incident location | Incident date | Dead/Injured | Explanation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fardin (surname unknown) | Marivan | Nowsud | 1 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
2 | Ali Zarghami | Takab | Saqqez | 3 Mar | Killed | Shot by border guards |
3 | Raouf Ghaderi | Saqqez | Baneh | 3 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
4 | Fakhraddin Yousefi | Baneh | Baneh | 4 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
5 | Arash Gheysarian | Baneh | Baneh | 4 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
6 | Ata Hosseini | Paveh | Nowsud | 6 Mar | Killed | 32 years old, shot by border guards, died on 14 March due to the severity of his injuries |
7 | Afshin Nazari | Salas-e Babajani | Nowsud | 6 Mar | Injured | Beaten by border guards |
8 | Zanyar Sayahi | Baneh | Baneh | 6 Mar | Injured | Father of two, shot by border guards |
9 | Edris Khakpour | Saqqez | Saqqez | 6 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards at close range after being beaten by them |
10 | Mehdi Anvari | Saqqez | Saqqez | 6 Mar | Injured | 23 years old, shot by border guards |
11 | Arsalan Nazari | Dalahu | Nowsud | 6 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
12 | Heydar (surname unknown) | Saqqez | Saqqez | 6 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards at close range after being beaten by them |
13 | Mohammad Mirani | Paveh | Nowsud | 7 Mar | Injured | Amputation due to a landmine explosion at the border of Nowsud |
14 | Aboubakr Rostamian | Marivan | Nowsud | 7 Mar | Injured | Landmine explosion |
15 | Bahman Badri | Javanrud | Nowsud | 8 Mar | Injured | Fall of car from heights |
16 | Fayegh Behnia | Saqqez | Nowsud | 8 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
17 | Hiva Rahimnia | Baneh | 8 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards at close range after being beaten by them | |
18 | Aram Manouchehri | Marivan | Marivan | 9 Mar | Died | Overturning of the car during the police chase |
19 | Hadi (surname unknown) | Nowsud | 11 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
20 | Massoud Mansouri | Nowsud | 11 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
21 | Omid Moradi | Marivan | Nowsud | 11 Mar | Injured | Hit by stones thrown by border guards |
22 | Mohammad (surname unknown) | Nowsud | 11 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
23 | Naseh Mohammadi | Salas-e Babajani | Nowsud | 11 Mar | injured | Road accident |
24 | Akam Veys-Moradi | Salas-e Babajani | Nowsud | 11 Mar | injured | Road accident |
25 | Mansour Azizi | Hawraman, Marivan | Nowsud | 12 Mar | injured | Fell from border heights |
26 | Khabat Faraji | Sanandaj | Nowsud | 12 Mar | Injured | Beaten by border guards |
27 | Teymour Tahmasebi | Dalahu | Nowsud | 12 Mar | Injured | 32 years old, father of two children, shot by border guards |
28 | Mohammad Ganjeh | Piranshahr | Piranshahr | 12 Mar | Killed | Shot by border guards |
29 | Mohammad Towfighi | Baneh | Baneh | 13 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
30 | Hassan Rastgou | Sardasht | Nowsud | 13 Mar | Injured | Fell from border heights |
31 | Khalil Shogar | Sardasht | Nowsud | 13 Mar | Injured | Fell from border heights |
32 | Sheikheh (surname unknown) | Sardasht | Nowsud | 13 Mar | Injured | Fell from border heights |
33 | Seyvan Bater | Marivan | Marivan | 13 Mar | Died | Road accident |
34 | Alan Mohammadi | Marivan | Marivan | 13 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
35 | Saadi Hosseini | Baneh | Baneh | 13 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
36 | Shadman Shokri | Paveh | Nowsud | 13 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
37 | Farough Seydi | Javanrud | Nowsud | 14 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
38 | Shahrokh Velianeh | Sanandaj | Nowsud | 14 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
39 | Kosar Ahmadi | Sanandaj | Nowsud | 14 Mar | Injured | 24 years old, shot by border guards |
40 | Keyhan Ahmadi | Sanandaj | Nowsud | 14 Mar | Injured | 42 years old, shot by border guards |
41 | Ahmad Nabizadegan | Sardasht | Baneh | 14 Mar | injured | Beaten by Iraqi border guards |
42 | Kavan Rostami | Kamyaran | Baneh | 15 Mar | Injured | Beaten |
43 | Rahim Mohammadzadeh | Rabat, Sardasht | Baneh | 16 Mar | Killed | Tortured to death by security forces who then threw his body down from mountain heights |
44 | Afshar Babaei | Sarvabad | Nowsud | 16 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
45 | Nouri Darreh-Ziyarat | Saqqez | Baneh | 16 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
46 | Sirous Moradi | Kamyaran | The border of Iraqi Kurdistan | 16 Mar | Injured | Beaten by Iraqi border guards |
47 | Soleyman Amini | Baneh | Baneh | 19 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
48 | Milad Mohammadi | Javanrud | Nowsud | 22 Mar | Injured | 15 years old, fell from border heights |
49 | Peyman Ahmadi | Javanrud | Nowsud | 23 Mar | Killed | Shot by border guards |
50 | Soran Abdi | Baneh | 24 Mar | Killed | Shot by border guards | |
51 | Mohammad Bayer Mohammadi | Javanrud | Nowsud | 24 Mar | Died | Heart attack |
52 | Hastiyar Abdolkarimi | Divandarreh | Saqqez | 24 Mar | Died | 15 years old, frostbite |
53 | Milad Hosseini | Divandarreh | Marivan | 24 Mar | Injured | 16 years old, shot by border guards |
54 | Arvin Haghani | Saqqez | Baneh | 24 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
55 | Jamil Abdi | Javanrud | Nowsud | 24 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards |
56 | Saeid Salousi | Piranshahr | Piranshahr | 25 Mar | Died | 33 years old, frostbite |
57 | Reza Nazari | Nowsud | 25 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
58 | Raouf Ahmadi | Sardasht | Sardasht | 26 Mar | Injured | Landmine explosion |
59 | Jabbar Ahmadzadeh | Sardasht | Sardasht | 26 Mar | Injured | Landmine explosion |
60 | Mohammad Yousefi | Nowsud | 26 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
61 | Mohammad Mahmoudi | Nowsud | 26 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
62 | Ehsan Nazari | Nowsud | 26 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
63 | Omid Shamsi | Nowsud | 26 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
64 | Yasin (surname unknown) | Nowsud | 26 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
65 | Saman Rostami | Nowsud | 26 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
66 | Gholamreza Feyzi | Nowsud | 26 Mar | Injured | Shot by border guards | |
67 | Shoresh Shokri | Marivan | Hawraman, Sarvabad | 28 Mar | Died | Fell from border heights |
68 | Siamak Younesi | Hawraman, Sarvabad | 28 Mar | Injured | Fell from border heights | |
69 | Aboubakr Makhouzifard | Sardasht | Sardasht | 28 Mar | Died | Fell from border heights |
Name | Detention location | Detention date | Activity | Location held and latest status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shahab Darabi | Eslamabad-e Gharb | 1 Mar | Civilian | |
2 | Khabat Veysi | Marivan | 2 Mar | Student | Taken to Marivan Prison to serve 15 months |
3 | Soleyman Abdi | Saqqez | 3 Mar | Kurdistan Teachers Union activist | Taken to Saqqez Prison to serve 8 months |
4 | Ramin Gorgani | Kamyaran | 5 Mar | Civilian | |
5 | Farzad Mahmoudpour | Oshnavieh | 5 Mar | Civilian arrested during 2022 anti-government protests | Taken to Naqadeh Prison to serve 5 years |
6 | Faryad Ghaderi | Sarvabad, Kurdistan province | 10 Mar | Former political prisoner | Arrested after being summoned to the Sanandaj Public Prosecutor’s Office |
7 | Foad Shabani | Sanandaj | 14 Mar | Civilian | Detained after being summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence, released after several hours of interrogation |
8 | Saman Rahman-Panah | Saqqez | 14 Mar | Civilian arrested during 2022 anti-government protests | |
9 | Hamzeh Molla-Hassan | Mahabad | 17 Mar | Civilian | |
10 | Kamal Galavi-Azar | Mahabad | 17 Mar | Civilian | |
11 | Mardin Gagoshi | Piranshahr | 17 Mar | Civilian | 15-year-old child |
12 | Shahram Shahi | Oshnavieh | 17 Mar | Civilian | |
13 | Fakhraddin Ahmadi | Oshnavieh | 17 Mar | Civilian | |
14 | Rahim Salamat | Oshnavieh | 17 Mar | Civilian | |
15 | Amir Rahmani | Oshnavieh | 18 Mar | Civilian | |
16 | Saber Ebrahimi | Oshnavieh | 19 Mar | Civilian | 24 years old |
17 | Hassan Kakaei | Bukan | 23 Mar | Artist | Arrested for singing in Newroz celebrations in Bukan |
18 | Simko Nasrollahi | Bukan | 24 Mar | Civilian | 35 years old, one of the organisers of Newroz celebrations |
19 | Kianoush Cheraghi | Dehloran | 24 Mar | Civilian | Taken to Ilam prison to serve sentence |
20 | Mohammad Abbaszadeh | Ilam | 27 Mar | Artist | Arrested after taking part in Newroz celebrations in Ilam |
Name | Resident of | Charged with | Date sentenced | Issuing court | Sentence | Explanation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sasan Chaman Ara | Ilam | Propaganda activity against the state for the benefit of hostile groups and media | 9 Mar | Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Ilam | 3 months of imprisonment including the period of previous detention and payment of 200 million rials fine | |
2 | Omid Ghadimi | Divandarreh | Membership of Komala, propaganda against the state, spreading falsehoods | 11 Mar | Islamic Revolutionary Court of Divandarreh | Total of 40 months in prison, fine of 85 million rials | Two thirds of imprisonment postponed for one year |
3 | Zanyar Fattahian | Bukan | Propaganda against the state, inciting people with the intention of disturbing national security | 12 Mar | Branch 101 of Criminal Court Two in Bukan | 18 months imprisonment | |
4 | Mohammad Taher Hosseinpour | Naqadeh | Enmity against God (moharebeh) through membership of one of the opposition parties | Mid March | Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mahabad | 13 years of imprisonment | Prisoner was informed of sentence while in prison |