The Kurdistan Human Rights Network’s (KHRN) recent investigations have revealed numerous cases of human rights violations against Kurdish civilians and activists from Iran in August 2023.

Our Documentation and Statistics Centre has compiled a comprehensive report on the various violations perpetrated against these individuals, which we present in this monthly report.

Executions

According to these findings, Iran executed at least 13 prisoners over the past month in Sanandaj, Saqqez, Khorramabad, Karaj, Hamadan, and Dezful.

While three prisoners were executed on charges of “premeditated murder”, 10 were executed for drug-related offences.

These are the executions of which the KHRN has been informed by its sources. However, the number of those executed is likely to be higher.

Kolbars and tradesmen

In August, at least four kolbars were killed and 16 were injured in the country’s western border areas.

Of these, 18 were shot by Iranian border guards and one was killed after he was hit by a military vehicle of the border forces.

In addition, one kolbar was injured after being shot by Iraqi border forces in the Choman border of Baneh on 7 August.

Killings of civilians

On 17 August, a Kurdish soldier from Maku, West Azerbaijan Province, was shot dead at a military base in Qasr-e Shirin, Kermanshah Province.

Work accidents

Over the past month, at least six workers lost their lives in work accidents in Qasr-e Shirin, Tabriz, Saqqez, Maku, Javanrud and Ilam.

Detentions and arrests

Throughout August, Iranian forces arrested at least 60 civilians, including activists, journalists, Kurdish Sunni clerics and two children.

Two of these civilians were detained to serve prison sentences in Ilam and Naqadeh.

Prison sentences

Over the past month, Iranian courts sentenced at least 10 people to prison terms ranging from six months to a total of 16 and a half years.

Half of these sentences were handed down by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court of Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province.

Executions

NameFromCharged withExecution dateExecution locationExplanation
1Javad AkbariKuhdashtDrugs2 AugParsiloun Prison of Khorramabad
2Sharif AkbariNurabadDrugs2 AugParsiloun Prison of Khorramabad
3Kianoush TeymouriKuhdashtDrugs2 AugParsiloun Prison of Khorramabad
4Ahad HashemiHarsinDrugs9 AugHamadan Central Prison
5Manouchehr KhazaEiKangavarDrugs9 AugHamadan Central Prison
6Afshin Rahimi-HedayatKangavarDrugs10 AugHamadan Central Prison30 years old
7Saeid BiranvandKhorramabadPremeditated murder13 AugParsiloun Prison of Khorramabad
8Ebrahim MowloudpourBukanDrugs16 AugDezful Prison
9Shorash MorovvatiSaqqezPremeditated murder22 AugSanandaj Central Prison
10Rahman EbrahimiKuhdashtDrugs23 AugGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
11Kiyoumars RezaeiKuhdashtDrugs23 AugGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
12Behrouz RahmaniVaraminDrugs23 AugGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
13Vafa KharamaniSaqqezPremeditated murder27 AugSaqqez Prison

Kolbars and tradesmen

NameFromIncident locationIncident dateDied/InjuredExplanation
1Arkan RahmaniJavanrudNowsud border areas1 AugInjuredShot by border guards
2Layegh DarvishiJavanrudNowsud border areas1 AugInjuredShot by border guards
3Mehran AhmadiJavanrudNowsud border areas3 AugInjuredShot by border guards
4Houshyar Amini DosinehBanehKhouri Abad checkpoint in Baneh3 AugKilledShot by border guards
5Rasoul GagoshiSardashtEntrance to Baneh5 AugKilledCollision with the car of a Border Regiment
6Omid VeysiJavanrudNowsud border areas6 AugInjuredShot by border guards
7Ehsan RasouliPavehNowsud border areas6 AugInjuredShot by border guards
8Nima AazamiJavanrudNowsud border areas6 AugInjuredShot by border guards
9Salam VeysiJavanrudNowsud border areas6 AugInjuredShot by border guards
10Milad BazaniJavanrudNowsud border areas6 AugInjuredShot by border guards
11Houshyar BazaniJavanrudNowsud border areas6 AugInjuredShot by border guards
12Farshad (surname unknown)Salas-e BabajaniNowsud border areas6 AugInjuredShot by border guards
13Aso KarimiPavehNowsud border areas6 AugKilledShot by border guards
14Hassan ForghaniBanehChoman border in Baneh7 AugInjuredShot by border Iraqi guards
15Shayan ZahmatkeshPavehNowsud border areas12 AugInjuredShot by border guards
16Arsalan Rasouli NalasHengeh-ye Zhal border areas13 AugKilledShot by border guards
17Taher Esmaeil TavanaSardashtHengeh-ye Zhal border areas13 AugInjuredShot by border guards
18Jalal SohrabiBanehBaneh border17 AugInjuredShot by border guards
19Omid LotfiMarivanKelieh border in Baneh22 AugInjuredShot by border guards

Killings of civilians

NameLocationDateExplanation
1Rahman ShamsQasr-e Shirin17 AugFrom Maku, shot at the army base in Qasr-e Shirin

Work accidents

NameIncident locationIncident dateDied/InjuredExplanation
1Javad AkbariParvizkhan border of Qasr-e Shirin1 AugDiedBorder terminal worker from Gelin village of Sanandaj, hit by a work machine
2Mehdi MahmoudiTabriz8 AugDiedFrom Darian village of Paveh, fell from a height
3Soran TaatiSaqqez11 AugDiedHeavy objects fell on the worker in a manufacturing workshop
4Ahmed TavakkoliMaku13 AugDiedDeath during construction work, 23 years old, father of one child
5unknownJavanrud18 AugDiedOverturning of the tractor during operation
6unknownIlam20 AugDiedFell from a height during construction work

Detentions and arrests

NameDetention locationDetention dateActivityLocation held and latest status
1Vali MohseniAbdanan1 AugCivilianUnknown
2Pouria AhmadiSanandaj1 AugCivil rights activist and former political prisonerTaken to a Ministry of Intelligence detention center
3Sahar AhmadiSanandaj1 AugCivilianReleased on bail
4Barzin AhmadiSanandaj1 AugChildPouria Ahmadi's child, who was handed over to his family
5Alan ArdeshiriMarivan2 AugCivilianUnknown
6Arsalan YousefiBukan5 AugCivilianArrested after being summoned to Ministry of Intelligence in Bukan
7Ramin HassannezhadRabat8 AugCivil rights activistUnknown
8Behzad SharifiSanandaj9 AugCivilianUnknown
9Hasan MardaniBukan10 AugCivilianUnknown
10Loghman PishyarBukan10 AugCivilianUnknown
11Reza BabrnezhadQuchan11 AugCivilianUnknown
12Bahar AhmadiSanandaj12 AugCivilianUnknown
13Mohsen DivaliBaneh13 AugKolbarUnknown
14Hadi RasoulianBaneh13 AugKolbarUnknown
15Zilan MolaeiSanandaj13 AugStudentReleased on bail
16Zaryan MolaeiSanandaj13 AugStudentReleased on bail
17Nazila MaroofianTehran14 AugJournalistReleased on bail
18Loghman SokhanvarPiranshahr15 AugCivilianUnknown
19Houshiar GhaderiPiranshahr15 Aug17-year-old childUnknown
20Hiva ShabahangOshnavieh15 AugCivilianUnknown
21Arslan KheyriMahabad15 AugCivilianUnknown
22Mamal SharifiMahabad15 AugCivilianUnknown
23Hossein MahmoudpourPiranshahr15 AugCivilianUnknown
24Amanj KhastehMahabad16 AugCivilianUnknown
25Ayoub MirzaeiOshnavieh16 AugCivilianUnknown
26Shirvan KhezriOshnavieh16 AugCivilianUnknown
27Hedayat KhastehMahabad16 AugCivilianUnknown
28Sherko NasiriMahabad16 AugCivilianUnknown
29Ashkan RasouliMahabad16 AugCivilianUnknown
30Hiva RahneshinMahabad16 AugCivilianUnknown
31Hamzeh GhaneiPiranshahr16 AugCivilianUnknown
32Omar HosseinzadehPiranshahr16 AugCivilianUnknown
33Firmesk BabaeiPaveh17 AugCivilianUnknown
34Hedi AbdolbakhtOshnavieh17 AugCivilianUnknown
35Najmaddin EisazadehOshnavieh17 AugCivilianUnknown
36Ziba GhelichkhaniBijar17 AugCivilianTaken to Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj
37Khadijeh MehdipourIlam17 AugFormer political prisonerTaken to Ilam Prison to serve 3 months and one day
38Moein SharifianPiranshahr17 AugCivilianUnknown
39Moein FaqihiJavanrud18 AugCivilianUnknown
40Zana ParvanehMarivan19 AugCivilianUnknown
41Hesam KaramiKamyaranMid AugCivilianUnknown
42Sirvan KaramiKamyaranMid AugCivilianUnknown
43Afshin SaediKamyaran21 AugCivilianUnknown
44Amir SeyyediMahabad21 AugCivilianUnknown
45Samad ShaboyiOshnavieh21 AugCivilianArrested after being summoned to Ministry of Intelligence
46Mohammad Hossein AbdiMarivan21 AugCivilianTaken to a security detention centre in Sanandaj
47Mobin DaharOshnavieh22 AugCivilianUnknown
48Sharmin HabibiSaqqez22 AugFamily member of a protest victimUnknown
49Mashallah KaramiTehran22 AugFamily member of a protest victimUnknown
50Yousef FathizadehBadreh22 AugCivilianUnknown
51Reza OlfatiKermanshah22 AugAthleteUnknown
52Mohammad Taher HosseinpourNaqadeh23 AugCivilianUnknown
53Amir ArzhangiMarivan24 AugCivilianUnknown
54Sattar ArzhangiMarivan24 AugCivilianUnknown
55Khaled Mehr-AsaMarivan26 AugCivilianUnknown
56Mohammad SharifiBukan27 AugKurdish Sunni clericTaken to Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Orumiyeh
57Saro MostajerSaqqez28 AugCivilianUnknown
58Jamal AlizadehNaqadeh29 AugCivil rights activistTaken to Naqadeh Prison to serve 30 months
59Nazila MaroofianTehran30 AugJournalistUnknown
60Bakhtyar MohammadzadehIlam31 AugCivilianArrested after being summoned to Ministry of Intelligence in Ilam

Prison sentences

NameResident ofCharged withDate sentencedIssuing courtSentenceExplanation
1Fereshteh MansouriSarablehPublishing lies with the intention of disturbing the public mind5 AugBranch 101 of the Criminal Court of Chardavol, Ilam6 months and one day imprisonmentSuspended for three years
2Seyvan EbrahimiSanandajDisturbing public order22 AugBranch 106 of the Criminal Court of Sanandajone year in prison, 40 lashes and exile to Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah
3Osman EsmaeiliSaqqezMembership of the Komala Kurdistan’s Organisation of the Communist Party of Iran, actions against national security, propaganda against the state25 AugBranch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in SaqqezTotal of 39 months in prison
4Rahim ShameiOrumiyehDestruction and looting of property with violence and assault, participation in deliberate destruction of property, production and assembly of non-military explosive materials27 AugBranch 101 of the Criminal Court of MahabadTotal of 12.5 years, 74 lashes, paying double the value of the confiscated items to the Treasury of the Islamic Republic of Iran
5Yassin MostafapourMahabadDestruction and looting of property with violence and assault, participation in deliberate destruction of property, rebellion against military and police officers, disturbing public order and peace27 AugBranch 101 of the Criminal Court of MahabadTotal of 9.5 years in prison, 74 lashes
6Salah MousaviradMahabadDestruction and looting of property with violence and assault, participation in deliberate destruction of property27 AugBranch 101 of the Criminal Court of Mahabad42 months and one day in prison, 1.5 years in prison
7Iraj EbrahimzadehDestruction and looting of property with violence and assault, participation in deliberate destruction of property27 AugBranch 101 of the Criminal Court of Mahabad43 months and one day in prison, 1.5 years in prison
8Behnam RasekhniaMahabadDestruction and looting of property with violence and assault, participation in deliberate destruction of property, burning the marriage document belonging to Asghar Mohammadi27 AugBranch 101 of the Criminal Court of MahabadTotal of 16.5 years in prison
9Mahvash TavassoliPiranshahrPropaganda against the state28 AugIslamic Revolutionary Court in Piranshahr2 years’ probation with electronic monitoring
10Jotyar AshrafzadehPiranshahrassembly and collusion with the intention to commit crimes against national security28 AugIslamic Revolutionary Court in Piranshahr3 years imprisonment