On Mondey, December 7, two young women were killed in the cities of Sardasht and Dehloran in the provinces of West Azerbaijan and Ilam . A reliable source in Sardasht confirmed the news to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network while stating that “a young woman named Wafa Abdullahzadeh, 39, a mother of two and a resident of Sardasht, was shot three times in front of…
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In recent days, the news of the murder of a woman from Sanandaj by her brothers has been published in the mass media. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has obtained the information that Sargol Habibi was arrested by police in Sanandaj on Saturday, November 28, along with a man, and was handed over to her brothers. Law enforcement officials handed her over to…
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On Monday, Aug 10, 2020, a Kurdish civil rights activist ‘Zahra Jamali’ was sent to Dieselabad Prison in Kermanshah to serve her nine-month sentence, a reliable source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). The activist was summoned and interrogated by Kangavar Intelligence Office in March 2017 following the release of a video in opposition to the compulsory hijab. The next day, after being summoned…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Kurdish Woman women’s rights activist Hajar Saeedi was officially served with the notice of a five-year suspended sentence issued by the Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, headed by Judge Saeedi.The verdict states that Ms Saeedi was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment on charges of “acting against national security” through membership in the…
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Kurdish civilian Shahnaz Sadeghifar has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Branch 2 of Orumiyeh Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Sheikhlou on July 21, 2020. She returned to Iran with her daughter Ainaz Zare Mehr from Kurdistan last year after receiving an “immunity letter” from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, she was charged with “acting against national security” through membership in the Kurdistan…
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Kurdish civilian Fatemeh Davand was sentenced to 5 years and 5 months in prison and 30 lashes in two separate cases decided at the Bukan Criminal Court and the Mahabad Revolutionary Court in West Azerbaijan province. She was arrested in Saqqez for taking part in protests against the sudden rise in gasoline prices in Iran in November 2019 but she was later released on…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has obtained information that Faranak Jashmidi, a member of the Green Society of Kurdistan who was arrested on July 29 by forces affiliated with the Sanandaj Intelligence Office, is still being held in custody. During this period, she was transferred to the Detention Center of the Ministry of Intelligence for interrogation during the day and returned to the Sanandaj Correctional…
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Three Kurdish female political prisoners Sakineh Parvaneh, Soheila Hijab and Zeynab Jalalian are still on a hunger strike in Qarchak Prison. Meanwhile, the health condition of Zeynab Jalalian is reported critical with severe coughs and chest pain, informed sources have told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network. Sakineh Parvaneh, who is being held in Ward 3 of Qarchak Prison, has been on a hunger strike since June 15,…
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Zeynab Jalalian, a Kurdish political prisoner in the quarantine ward of Qarchak Prison, has been on hunger strike since this morning. Her request is to be returned to Khoy Prison or transferred to Evin Prison. The political prisoner, who was transferred from Khoy Prison to Qarchak Prison on May 10, has also announced that she would go on a hunger strike in the coming days…
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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 May to 31 May.
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 May, nine being on drug-related charges and six on charges of “premeditated murder”.
The majority of these executions took place in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Alborz Province.
*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
At least four Kurdish women were reported to be victims of femicide in May. Two were killed by their husbands, one by her son-in-law and one by a suitor.
All four cases occurred in Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province, and the method of murder in all cases was gunshot.
Kolbars
Last month, at least three kolbars were shot dead by Iranian border guards in the border areas of Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces, while two others were wounded in the border areas of Kurdistan Province.
Detentions and arrests
In May, Iranian forces arrested at least 27 people, six of whom were sent to prison to serve their sentences.
According to the information obtained by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), at least seven of the remaining 21 detainees were released on bail, while the situation of the other 14 remains unknown.
Sentences
During this period, Iranian courts sentenced at least seven people to prison sentences ranging from eight months to two years.
Also, the Supreme Court rejected the second appeal for a retrial of Hatem Ozdemir, a Kurdish political prisoner with Turkish citizenship, and upheld his death sentence.
Ozdemir was sentenced to death in May 2024 by Branch Three of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh). In September 2024, Branch Nine of the Supreme Court upheld the sentence.
With this latest rejection, Ozdemir’s execution is now even more imminent.
Additionally, in May, Branch 31 of the Court of Administrative Justice upheld the dismissal of Somayyeh Akhtar-Shomar, a 37-year-old Kurdish teacher from Marivan, Kurdistan Province, with 17 years of service.
The original decision to dismiss the Kurdish teacher was taken on 17 March 2024 by the Primary Disciplinary Committee of Civil Servants in Kurdistan Province.