Kurdistan Human Rights Network

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 citizens 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 July to 31 July.

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

At least four individuals were executed in Iran during July. Two were executed on murder-related charges, one on combined charges of rape and murder, and one for drug-related offences.

Two executions were carried out in Kermanshah Central Prison, one in Karaj Central Penitentiary, and one in public in the city of Bukan, West Azerbaijan 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.

Civilian killings

In the second half of July, Iranian police forces fatally shot three Kurdish civilians. One was killed in Salmas, West Azerbaijan Province, while the other two were shot dead in Holeylan, Ilam Province.

Femicide

KHRN documented the killing of at least four Kurdish women in July in cases of femicide. These incidents occurred in the cities of Ilam, Kermanshah and Dehgolan, reflecting a continuation of gender-based violence seen in previous months.

Kolbars

At least five kolbars were shot and killed and four others were wounded by Iranian border guards last month in the border areas of Baneh and Marivan, both in Kurdistan Province.

Detentions and arrests

Iranian security forces arrested at least 53 individuals in July, including four activists, three former political prisoners, two artists, and one family member of a victim seeking justice – known in Persian as dadkhah.

Sentences

Iranian courts handed down sentences to at least 10 individuals in July, ranging from three-month prison terms to death sentences.

This month marked a sharp increase in death sentences handed down to Kurdish citizens. In one high-profile case, Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh sentenced five individuals – Ali (Soran) Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rezgar Beygzadeh Babamiri, and Teyfour Salimi Babamiri – to a total of 11 death sentences, alongside lengthy prison terms and financial penalties.

The men were charged in connection with their involvement in the anti-government Women, Life, Freedom protests in the city of Bukan.

Amputation punishments

On 30 July, Iranian authorities amputated the fingers of three prisoners – Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Sharafian and Mehdi Shahivand – using a guillotine in Orumiyeh Central Prison.

The three men had been tried jointly and sentenced on 19 November 2019 by Juvenile and Youth Criminal Court One to “amputation of four fingers of the right hand from the base, ensuring that the thumb and palm remain intact” on charges of theft. They were also ordered to return the allegedly stolen property.

The verdict was upheld by Branch 13 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ali Shoushtari, on 10 May 2020.

Executions

Civilian killings

Femicide

Kolbar deaths

Kolbar injuries

Detentions and arrests

Sentences