Investigations carried out by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) show that many Kurdish civilians and activists from Iran have become victims of human rights violations in March 2023.

The followings are the detailed information collected by the KHRN statistics and documentation centre regarding these violations.

Executions

Iran executed at least 18 prisoners over the past month in Orumiyeh, Saqqez, Kermanshah, Arak, Hamedan, and Khorramabad.

Eleven of these death sentences were executed at Orumiyeh Central Prison, including the death sentence of the Kurdish political prisoner Mohyeddin Ebrahimi who was a kolbar charged with allegedly “taking up arms” against the state.

Killings of civilians

On 22 March, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces killed Behzad Azizi, a 19-year-old Kurdish civilian at the Karimabad checkpoint at the entrance of Baneh, Kurdistan province.

On 27 March, Iranian police shot dead Azad Rezaei, a 25-year-old Kurdish civilian, in Kermanshah, western Iran. The Kurdish man was shot directly in the head after being chased by the police for not having his car papers.

Kolbars

In March, forces of Iran’s Border Guard Command wounded at least three kolbars, including a 14-year-old boy, in the country’s western border areas.

Detentions and arrests

Throughout March, Iranian forces detained at least 19 people in Iranian Kurdistan. These included nine activists and an artist.

A detained civilian was released and at least six activists were released on bail, pending trial.

Prison sentences

Last month, Iranian courts sentenced at least five people to death and seven others to prison terms ranging from eight months to 10 years.

Five prisoners sentenced to death and five prisoners each given 10 years in prison, were charged with “espionage for Israel”.

Eleven out of the 12 sentences were given by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh, in West Azerbaijan province.

Executions

NameFromCharged withExecution dateExecution locationExplanation
1Mohammad DoustinezhadHarsinDrugs1 MarHamedan Central Prison29 years old
2Ali DoudkanlouMakuPremeditated murder1 MarOrumiyeh Central PrisonExecuted after 2 years in prison
3Kioumars ZarghamiSaqqezPremeditated murder5 MarSaqqez PrisonExecuted for killing his wife after 1.5 years in prison
4Saman MomeniIlamDrugs5 MarArak Central PrisonExecuted after 4 years in prison
5Ayat Ali YariKuhdashtDrugs6 MarParsiloun Prison in KhorramabadExecuted after 5 years in prison, 31 years old
6Sohrab Souri LakkiKuhdashtDrugs6 MarParsiloun Prison in KhorramabadExecuted after 5 years in prison, 36 years old
7Jalal SardarifardNaqadehDrugs10 MarOrumiyeh Central PrisonExecuted after 3 years in prison
8Saleh GhassemiZindasht village in SalmasDrugs10 MarOrumiyeh Central Prison53 years old
9Mansour AbdizadehHaftevan village in SalmasDrugs10 MarOrumiyeh Central Prison
10Hossein Pour-FayyazOrumiyehDrugs10 MarOrumiyeh Central Prison
11Ali Mekhan SeyfiMesgareh village in KermanshahPremeditated murder12 MarDizel Abad PrisonExecuted 2 years after killing his wife
12Armin HeiraniAsgareh village in KermanshahPremeditated murder12 MarDizel Abad PrisonExecuted 2 years after killing his wife
13Mohyeddin EbrahimiOshnavieh Armed insurrection (baghi)17 MarOrumiyeh Central PrisonExecuted after 5 years in prison, body not returned to family
14Yasin RashidiOrumiyehDrugs17 MarOrumiyeh Central Prison
15Jahanbakhsh RadlouiOrumiyehDrugs17 MarOrumiyeh Central Prison
16Mohammad AyoubianOrumiyehDrugs17 MarOrumiyeh Central Prison37 years old
17Foruhar AbbasnezhadOrumiyehDrugs17 MarOrumiyeh Central Prison40 years old
18Hossein Soltan-AbadiBukanDrugs17 MarOrumiyeh Central PrisonExecuted after 10 years in prison, 51 years old

Killings of civilians

NameLocation of incidentDate of incidentExplanation
1Behzad AziziBaneh22 MarShot by IRGC forces, 19 years old
2Azad RezaeiKermanshah27 MarShot by police, 25 years old

Kolbars

NameFromIncident locationIncident dateDead/injuredExplanation
1Jafar FatehiKarjo village in SanandajNowsud border areas4 MarInjuredShot by border forces, 45 years old, father of three
2Mani HabibiHashmar village in Salas-e-BabajaniNowsud border areas15 MarInjuredShot by border forces, 14 years old
3Hossein KhandaniMarivanBaneh border areas22 MarInjuredShot by border forces

Detentions and arrests

NameDetention locationDetention dateActivityLocation held and latest status
1Fattah Bilind GeramiBukan1 MarCivilianUnknown
2Mani Bilind GeramiBukan1 MarCivilianUnknown
3Mehdi JamshidiKermanshah4 MarWorkerUnknown
4Kaveh SalimiKermanshah5 MarCivil rights activistReleased on bail
5Aram Saed MoucheshiSanandaj6 MarEnvironmental activistUnknown
6Amin MahigirIlam6 MarCivilianUnknown
7Abed AhmadiSanandaj7 MarTeachers' Union ActivistUnknown
8Mokhtar AsadiSanandaj7 MarTeachers' Union ActivistReleased on bail
9Jabbar PakzadSanandaj7 MarTeachers' Union ActivistReleased on bail
10Kamal FakourianSanandaj7 MarTeachers' Union ActivistReleased on bail
11Veria KarimiSanandaj7 MarTeachers' Union ActivistReleased on bail
12Bahaoddin MalekiSanandaj7 MarTeachers' Union ActivistReleased on bail
13Sadegh SamereiKermanshah7 MarTeacher and artistUnknown
14Salahoddin SharifiBukan13 MarCivilianUnknown
15Hiwa RahimpourBukan13 MarCivilianUnknown
16Fereidoun MarabiMarab village in Kamyaran14 MarCivilianReleased
17Rebwar MarabiMarab village in Kamyaran14 MarCivilianUnknown
18Ali KhademiQorveh15 MarCivilianUnknown
19Soleiman AbdiSaqqez19 MarTeachers' Union ActivistUnknown

Prison sentences

NameResident ofCharged withDate sentencedIssuing courtSentenceExplanation
1Nasim NamaziOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh Death penaltyCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
2Vafa HanarehOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh Death penaltyCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
3Aram Omari BerdianiOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh Death penaltyCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
4Rahman ParhazouOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh Death penaltyCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
5Mansour RasouliOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh Death penaltyCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
6Kamran HanarehOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh 10 years in prisonCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
7Fakhroddin Doudkanlou MilanOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh 10 years in prisonCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
8Ashkan Osmannezhad GandukOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh 10 years in prisonCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
9Hassan OmarpourOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh 10 years in prisonCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
10Amir Moshtagh GangachinOrumiyehParticipation in intelligence cooperation and espionage for IsraelMid MarBranch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh 10 years in prisonCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison
11Shilan KurdistaniSanandaj Membership of an illegal group, propaganda against the stateLate MarBranch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj40 months of suspended imprisonment2 years and 9 months of the sentence applicable, released on bail
12Hadi RostamiOrumiyehDisturbing the prison orderLate MarBranch 102 of the Criminal Court of Orumiyeh8 months in prison and 45 lashesCurrently held in Orumiyeh Central Prison