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 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

According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least 12 prisoners in October.

While six of these men were executed on charges of “premeditated murder”, six others were executed for drug-related charges.

*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

On 4 October, Kurdish tradesman Yousef Dashti was killed after anti-smuggling police officers opened fire on his vehicle during a pursuit on the road between Bukan and Mahabad in West Azerbaijan Province.

The police, suspecting that Dashti, 38, was carrying contraband, fired dozens of shots at the car and hit him with a bullet, causing the car to overturn and killing the tradesman.

Kolbars and tradesmen

In October, Iranian border guards killed at least four kolbars and injured two others in Nowsud, Piranshahr, Sardasht, and Baneh.

Detentions and arrests

Over the past month, Iranian forces have arrested at least 15 civilians and activists.

At least two of the detained civilians were sent to Saqqez and Qorveh prisons to serve their sentences.

Sentences

In October, Iranian courts sentenced at least nine people to punishments ranging from three months to three years in prison.

Executions

NameFromCharged withExecution dateExecution locationExplanation
1 Nima Moradi IlamPremeditated murder1 OctGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
2 Nasrollah Mennati IlamPremeditated murder1 OctGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
3 Fazlollah PournasiriKuhdasht Drugs2 OctGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
4Mowloud KhaledianQorvehPremeditated murder2 OctGhezel Hesar Prison in KarajArrested about four years ago
5 Ashkan Yari Kermanshah Drugs5 Oct Hamadan Central prison
6 Sattar Khosravi Harsin Drugs9 OctGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
7Borhan AnsariOrumiyeh Drugs10 Oct Orumiyeh Central Prison
8 Asaad FarhangSaqqezPremeditated murder10 Oct Orumiyeh Central PrisonFather of 3 children, arrested 9 years ago
9 Nasser MohammadiOrumiyehPremeditated murder15 Oct Orumiyeh Central Prison
10Mehdi CheraghiQorvehPremeditated murder21 OctQorveh PrisonArrested 7 years ago
11Morovvat-Ali Karami Kermanshah Drugs29 Oct Karaj Central PenitentiaryArrested 4 years ago
12Vahed Binami Piranshahr Drugs30 OctNaqadeh Prison

Civilian killings

NameFromDateLocationOrganisationExplanation
1Yousef DashtiBukanBukan4 OctAnti-smuggling policePolice fired dozens of shots at his car and hit him with a bullet, causing the car to overturn

Kolbars and tradesmen

NameFromIncident locationIncident dateDead/InjuredExplanation
1 Taregh Nazari Salas-e BabajaniNowsud2 OctKilledShot by border guards
2 Hossein Kamalian Piranshahr Piranshahr7 OctKilled Beaten and shot by border guards
3 Fardin Qalash Piranshahr Piranshahr7 OctInjuredShot by border guards
4 Siamand Hassanpour Sardasht Sardasht10 OctKilled Fell from height during the pursuit of border guards, died after several days in Orumiyeh hospital due to the severity of his injuries
5 Rizgar HassaniSaqqez Baneh15 OctInjuredShot by border guards
6 Ebrahim Ahmadnezhad Mahabad Sardasht25 OctKilledShot by border guards

Detentions and arrests

NameFromDetention locationDetention dateActivity Location held and latest status
1 Khabat Iran-DoustBukanBukan2 OctCivilian
2 Ghaleb Hosseini Sanandaj SanandajEarly Oct Labour activistReleased on bail of 5 billion rials on 28 October
3 Goran Khoda-Moradi Sanandaj Sanandaj7 OctCivilian
4 Osman HabibollahiOshnaviehOshnavieh8 OctCivilian
5 Akam Mihan-KhahOshnaviehOshnavieh8 OctCivilian
6 Hamid ChapatiOrumiyehOrumiyeh16 Oct Civil rights activistReleased on bail few hours after being formally charged
7 Edris FathiSaqqezSaqqez16 OctCivilian
8 Abdollah SharifzadehSaqqezSaqqez20 OctMember of mountaineering groupTaken to Saqqez Prison to serve 10 months imprisonment
9Payam Fathi Sanandaj Sanandaj21 OctLabour activistSummoned by Ministry of Intelligence, released after a few hours of interrogation
10 Jamal Asadi Sanandaj Sanandaj21 Oct Environmental activistSummoned by Ministry of Intelligence, released after a few hours of interrogation
11 Haroun Salimi Sanandaj Sanandaj21 OctCivilian
12 Milad NasseriBukanBukan23 OctCivilian
13 Akam AminiBukanBukan24 OctCivilianArrested after being summoned to Ministry of Intelligence in Bukan
14 Pishko (Ali) Rouhi Marivan Marivan26 Oct Environmental activist, member of Chia the Green Organisation
15 Azad AbbasiDehgolanDehgolan31 Oct Director of Nozhin Socio-Cultural Association, Kurdish language teacherTaken to Qorveh prison to serve 2 years of imprisonment

Sentences

NameFromCharged withDate sentenced Issuing courtSentenceExplanation
1Zhina Modares Gorji Sanandaj Propaganda against the state, forming an illegal group with the aim of overthrowing the regime2 Oct Branch 4 of the Court of Appeal of Kurdistan Province 2 years and 4 months imprisonmentAccording to the law on consolidation of sentences, 16 months of imprisonment is enforceable. Previously sentenced to 21 years in prison and exile to Hamadan prison
2 Edris KarsazOshnavieh Membership and collaboration with one of the opposition Kurdish parties Early Oct Islamic Revolutionary Court of Oshnavieh3 years imprisonment
3 Susan HassanzadehBukan Propaganda against the state, membership of opposition groups8 Oct Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court 3 months imprisonment
4Manizheh KhoshnoudBukan Propaganda against the state12 Oct Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court 2 10 months imprisonment 56 years old, was denied access to a lawyer and family visits during detention
5Pakhshan Azizi Mahabad Disobedience to government officials19 Oct Criminal Court of the 2nd Judiciary Complex of Quds, Tehran 6 months imprisonment
6Verisheh Moradi Sanandaj Disobedience to government officials19 Oct Criminal Court of the 2nd Judiciary Complex of Quds, Tehran 6 months imprisonment
7 Mostafa HamdiSaqqez Disturbing public order by participating in illegal gatherings19 OctBranch 105 of Saqqez Criminal Court 2 10 months imprisonment and 70 lashes Media activist and admin of Porseman Saqqez Telegram group
8 Adel Pirouzi Marivan Propaganda against the state in favor of one of the opposition Kurdish parties Late Oct Sanandaj Court of Appeal 1 year imprisonment
9 Solmaz HassanzadehBukan Propaganda against the state29 Oct Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court 2 1 year imprisonmentMember of justice-seeking family