Investigations carried out by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) show that many Kurdish civilians and activists from Iran became victims of human rights violations in April 2023.
The followings are the detailed information collected by the KHRN statistics and documentation centre regarding these violations.
Killings of civilians
At least two Kurdish civilians were killed by Iranian military forces in April. Eynollah Ghadernezhad was shot in Oshnavieh, West Azerbaijan province, on 2 April and Sajjad Chamani was killed in Kermanshah, Kermanshah province, on 10 April.
Kolbars
On 6 April, two kolbars drowned in a dam in the border areas of Baneh, Kurdistan province, and their bodies were found by volunteers after 10 days of searching.
In addition, a kolbar was killed after a military vehicle ran over him in the Hangeh-ye Zhal border area on 20 April.
Landmine explosions
At least three people, including two children, were injured in landmine blasts in Qasr-e Shirin and Sanandaj in the past month.
Detentions and arrests
Throughout April, Iranian forces detained at least 15 people in Kurdistan. These included three activists and two Kurdish Sunni clerics.
Two of the detainees were sent to prison to serve prison sentences.
Prison sentences
Last month, Branch Two of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh sentenced Kurdish political prisoner Nayeb Askari to death for the second time. It charged the prisoner with “enmity against God” (moharebeh) through “membership” in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK).
Iranian courts also sentenced one person to two years in prison and another to two years of suspended imprisonment.
Killings of Civilians
| Name | Location of incident | Date of incident | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eynollah Ghadernezhad | Oshnavieh | 2 Apr | Shot by military forces |
| 2 | Sajjad Chamani | Kermanshah | 10 Apr | Shot by military forces |
Kolbars
| Name | From | Incident location | Incident date | Dead/injured | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afshin Falahi | Baneh | Baneh border areas | 6 Apr | Drowned | Drowned in Abbas Abad dam in Baneh |
| 2 | Mehdi Rahmati | Saqqez | Baneh border areas | 6 Apr | Drowned | Drowned in Abbas Abad dam in Baneh |
| 3 | Mohammad Latif Ahmadpour | Baneh | Hangeh-ye Zhal border areas | 20 Apr | Killed | Ran over by military forces vehicle |
Landmine explosions
| Name | Location of Incident | Date of incident | Status | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown | Qasr-e Shirin | 10 Apr | Injured | Employee of demining department |
| 2 | Arshia Nouri | Sanandaj | 27 Ap | Injured | 9-year-old child |
| 3 | Pishrou Samadi | Sanandaj | 27 Ap | Injured | 11-year-old child |
Detention and arrests
| Name | Detention location | Detention date | Activity | Location held and latest status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fakhraddin Ebrahimi | Orumiyeh | 3 Apr | Civilian | Released on bail |
| 2 | Farough Ahmadi | Mahabad | 3 Apr | Kurdish Sunni Cleric | Unknown |
| 3 | Abdolghader Ghaderi | Mahabad | 3 Apr | Kurdish Sunni Cleric | Unknown |
| 4 | Sakineh Parvaneh | Mashhad | 4 Apr | Former political prisoner | Mashhad Central Prison |
| 5 | Fariba Zand-Karimi | Sanandaj | 5 Apr | Women's right activist, teacher | Taken to Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Sanandaj |
| 6 | Omid Shah-Mohammadi | Divandarreh | 8 Apr | Teachers' Union Activist | Detained to serve 1-year prison sentence |
| 7 | Zhina Modares Gorji | Sanandaj | 10 Apr | Women's right activist, journalist | Taken to Juvenile Detention Centre in Sanandaj |
| 8 | Mehdi Erfani | Qorveh | 15 Apr | Civilian | Unknown |
| 9 | Kaveh Salehi | Bukan | 15 Apr | Civilian | Unknown |
| 10 | Osman Asadi | Oshnavieh | 15 Apr | Civilian | Detained to serve 3 years and 8 months in prison |
| 11 | Kamal Lotfi | Dehgolan | 16 Apr | Civilian | Unknown |
| 12 | Siamak Hiyasi | Bukan | 19 Apr | Civilian | Unknown |
| 13 | Alan Daghdar | Bukan | 19 Apr | Civilian | Unknown |
| 14 | Saleh Ahmadi | Bukan | 20 Apr | Pharmacist | Taken to a security detention centre in Orumiyeh |
| 15 | Soleiman Javid | Bukan | 20 Apr | Pharmacy employee | Released after a day in detention |
Prison sentences
| Name | Resident of | Charged with | Date sentenced | Issuing court | Sentence | Explanation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hossein Ali-Moradi | Sananda | Disturbing public opinion | 3 Apr | Special Clerical Court of Hamadan | 2-year suspended imprisonment | Director of Ebrahim Khalilollah School of Religious Studies in Sanandaj | |
| 2 | Nayeb Askari | Orumiyeh | Enmity against God (moharebeh) through PJAK membership | 15 Apr | Branch 2 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh | Death penalty | Kurdish political prisoner, sentenced to death for second time | |
| 3 | Ebrahim Janeh-Fard | Bukan | Collaboration with a Kurdish opposition party | 24 Apr | Branch 110 of Criminal Court of Bukan | 2 years in prison | Former Kurdish opposition party member |
