Zeynab Jalalian, a Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, was once again deprived of weekly visits with her family by the Ministry of Intelligence. Meanwhile, Khoy Prison authorities still deny her access to the necessary medical care. “On Monday, December 24, Khoy Prison officials informed her that she would be deprived of weekly visits with her family until further notice as instructed by the…
Read more
A group of Kolbars from Sardasht in the border area of Betoush was ambushed, arrested and harassed by Iranian border guards. A Kolbar from Sardasht told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that Iranian border guards in the Tatan mountains of the village of Betoush area of Sardasht ambushed a group of Kolbars on December 26 and seized their goods while harassing them for a couple…
Read more
71 prisoners of conscience and political prisoners held in wards 12 and 13 of Orumiyeh Central Prison are on hunger strike for the second consecutive day in protest to the beating of some of the political prisoners by prison authorities and prisoners of dangerous crimes in addition to deprivation of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners from furlough right. The family of a number of…
Read more
A prisoner detained at Orumiyeh Central Prison charged with robbery was sentenced to hand amputation by Branch 1 of the Criminal Court (Children & Adolescents Division) in Orumiyeh. Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that Kasra Karami, born in 1980 as son of Yadollah from Kermanshah who was arrested on October 2015, was sentenced to hand Amputation by Branch 1 of the Orumiyeh…
Read more
A prisoner of ordinary crimes, who had been on hunger strike at Tabriz Central Prison since Sept 22, 2018 died yesterday on Sept 24, 2018 due to heart stroke. According to Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), this prisoner has been identified as Biok Lotfollahzadeh, (61 years old from Tabriz ) who was a retired employee of the Electricity Utility Company. He only had to…
Read more
Ali Baderkhani, a prisoner who went on hunger strike for 7 days on August 7, 2018, in protest to not being transferred to the political prisoners’ ward in addition to being under the pressure of prison authorities, was beaten by several dangerous crimes prisoners who were provoked by the ward authorities. In this regard, an informed source has told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN)…
Read more
A Kurdish political prisoner detained in Orumiyeh central prison has gone on hunger strike after being transferred to a solitary confinement cell. Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that Ghader Mohammad Zadeh, who was transferred to solitary confinement on June 09 after protesting to being deprived of a bed (forced to give up his bed to another prisoner as a punishment) as well…
Read more
A Kurdish political prisoner detained in Orumiyeh Central Prison was transferred to solitary confinement on authorities orders. Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that prison authorities went to section 3-4 without offering any specific reason on June 09 and asked the Kurdish political prisoner known Ghader Mohammad Zadeh to give up his bed to another prisoner as a punishment. The political prisoner resisted…
Read more
This morning, on Tuesday, May 22, the prison authorities have confiscated the knitting tools of political prisoners at ward 3 of Miandoab Prison under the pretext of knitting the “Kurdistan Flag” although these knitting tools formed the sole source of these prisoner’s livelihoods. An informed source told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that, this morning, several Guards of Miandoab Prison have raided ward 3, inspected…
Read more
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.