Kurdish man at imminent risk of execution in Iran 23 January 010

LONDON,— The Iranian authorities must not execute a Kurdish man on death row whose transfer to solitary confinement last week raises fears that his execution could be imminent, said Amnesty International.

Habibollah Latifi was sentenced to death in July 2008 after he was convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God) in connection with his membership of and activities on behalf of the Kurdish Independent Life Party (PJAK), a banned armed group.

He was transferred to solitary confinement at Sanandaj prison, Kurdistan province, north-western Iran on 16 January. Read more

HRW World Report 2010: Syria

Syria’s poor human rights situation deteriorated further in 2009, as the authorities arrested political and human rights activists, censored websites, detained bloggers, and imposed travel bans. No political parties are licensed. Emergency rule, imposed in 1963, remains in effect and Syria’s multiple security agencies continue to detain people without arrest warrants. The Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), an exceptional court with almost no procedural guarantees, resumed trials in March 2009, following an eight-month suspension. Read more

Jamal Sadoun remains in detention in Syria – others are released

The individual military judge in Qamishli released three more of the musicians who had been arrested on 3 October 2009 in Deyrik for playing Kurdish songs for which they were then tortured and assaulted. The three are:

• Nihad Hussain.
• Djawar Munir Abdullah,
• Juan Munir Abdullah,

Sadly, Jamal Sadoun remains in detention.

The Kurdish organization for the defence of human rights and public freedoms in Syria –  DAD demands that Syria stops the practice of torturing  detainees by physical and emotional abuse.

See previous reports:

http://supportkurds.org/news/reports/yasa-report-october-2009/

http://supportkurds.org/news/trials-process-for-kurdish-activists-in-syria/

http://www.freemuse.org/sw36249.asp

also:

On 19 January 2010, the individual military judge in Qamishli released Bahjit Ibrahim who had been accused of membership  of a banned political association and was arrested on 20 october 2009.

Human Rights Organisation in Syria – MAF welcomes Bahjit Ibrahim’s release, and demand the release of all political prisoners in Syria.

Previous reports concerning Bahjat Ibrahim:

http://supportkurds.org/reports/yasa-report-october-2009/

http://supportkurds.org/news/trials-process-for-kurdish-activists-in-syria/

22 January 2010

Sheikh Abdul Razaq Jengo released

Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF reports that Sheikh Abdul Razaq Jengo has been released by the authorities in Syria.They welcome his release, and condemn the laws that allow the detention of Kurds under the State of Emergency.

19 January 2010

Original report: http://supportkurds.org/news/sheikh-abdul-razaq-jengo-arrested-at-aleppo-airport-syria/

A circular aimed at Kurds with Maktoumeen status – unjust and unfair

One of the most serious issues in Syria concerns the registration of Kurdish people in Hassaka province. The Kurdish people known as ‘Maktoumeen’ are deprived of their right to citizenship, and this lack of status has been passed on through the generations by grandfathers and fathers to the present day. People who have Maktoumeen status are denied their basic human rights.

This situation came about because was an exceptional census in the province of Hassaka in 1962, as a result of which tens of thousands of Kurdish families were stripped of their Syrian nationality. Most of these people were registered at the census time by special civil registration departments as ‘Ajanib’ from Hassaka province. The others were registered as ‘Maktoumeen’, and they were given no identity documents. Read more

Trials process for Kurdish activists in Syria

On Sunday, 17 January 2010, the individual military judge in Qamishli, Syria gave the following decisions in the cases of Kurdish political detainees:

In case number 156 of 2010:

The judge asked the four men for their most recent statements and then delivered the following sentences in relation to:

• Khalil Ibrahim Mohammed,
• Mohammed Shekho Issa,
• Abdel-Salam Sheikhmous Mahmoud,
• Rami Sheikmous al-Hassan.

The men were arbitrarily arrested without warrants or court orders in mid-March 2009 during a vigil in memory of the victims of the Halabja massacre in 1988.  They were released in late April 2009. Read more

Kurdish leaders detained for advocating Kurdish autonomy in Syria

Hassan Ibrahim Saleh is a member of the political committee of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. He was born in 1947, and is married with eight children. He is a retired teacher with a degree in geography. He is a resident of the town of Qamishli – Hasakah province.

Mohamed Mustapha is a member of the Political Committee of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. He was born in 1962, and is married with one daughter. He is a lawyer and a former detainee. He is a resident of the town of Qamishli – Hasakah province.

Maroof Mulla Ahmed is a member of the Political Committee of Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. He was born in 1952, and is married with four children. He has a high school diploma, and is also a former detainee. He is a resident of the town of Qamishli – Hasakah province.

Anwar Nasso is a political activist. He was born in 1962, and is married with three children. He is an artist, and holds a qualification in agricultural studies from college, and he is employed. He is also a former detainee, and is a resident of Amuda town in Hasakah province. Read more

Letter in support of Hooshang Osei

To Whom It May Concern

Dear Sir/Madam,
RE: Hooshang Osei-a Kurdish political writer

Hooshang Osei is one of the prominent Kurdish writer, poet and journalist in Syria. He has had many articles published in newspaper and on the internet that is critical of the government of Syria. He is a well known for his political criticism in Middle East.

Ho0shang had been questioned by the security forces in Syria and was then alerted to the possibility of arrest. He then went to hiding in the middle of January 2009, after security patrols repeatedly looking for him. He was sought in connection with his political journalism.

After five months in hiding in Syria, he left Syria illegally on the 30th May 2009 to Turkey.

He is currently living in Turkey and registered with UNCHR.

Hooshang’s life is at risk in Turkey because of:

-Hooshang has a fear of returned to Syria by Turkish Authorities .Syrian authorities are preparing to arrest him as soon as he returned to Syria for his political activities. Turkey and Syria has been in discussion regarding their collaboration and combined approach to Kurdish issue, these collaborations puts Hooshang at more risk.

- Hooshang has been critical of Turkish Government for its treatment of Kurdish issue in Turkey. There is unrest in Turkey especially after closing down a political party linked to Kurds (DTP).As a result of this unrest Hooshang is vulnerable to be arrested as a high profile Kurdish political journalist.

We as a United Kurdish Community Association in NSW-Australia regard that Hooshang is at high risk in Turkey.

We ask international communities and human right organisations to help Hooshang by relocating him to a safe and secure countery. We will provide him all necessary support in Australia

Kind regards,

Mofaq Sorani
Chairman
United Kurdish Association of NSW- Australia

Two Kurdish sisters face political trial in Syria

Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD reports that a Kurdish woman, Asmia Mourad Sami from Girke Lege in the Kurdish region of Syria, has been arrested. She is a married woman and mother of eight children. She was summoned to the Political Security branch Fayha, in Damascus on Wednesday 6 January 2010. She has not returned home yet and there has been no news about her.

It is worth noting that Mrs.Asmia Mourad Sami was arrested on 16 August 2009 along with her sister, Aihan Mourad Sami, by Political Security in Hassakeh province. They were released a month later by the individual military judge in Qamishli, and the case has been listed for trial on 17 January 2010. The prosecution has brought charges against them of belonging to a political organization that is prohibited, this being Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD condemns arrests and detentions on the grounds of political affiliations, as this is illegal. We condemn detentions and abuses by use of the powers under Emergency Law as these break international laws that uphold liberty. We demand the release of all political prisoners, and that these abusive practices are stopped as they are contrary to human rights as defined by international law. We demand the abolition of special courts and the ending of the State of Emergency in Syria.

Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD

Qamishli, 16 January 2010

40 Swedish members of parliament signed a petition to lift the death sentences against the Kurds in Eastern Kurdistan (Iran)

Rescind the death sentence against the Kurdish activists!  Developments in Iran since the election in June 2009 have been changeble.  In the Kurdish area in which a state of emergency exists, the Iranian regime has grown even more repressive. The Kurdish people have the highest number of death row political prisoners.

In Iran, there are currently thirteen Kurdish students, and civil and political activists awaiting death sentences that have been issued by Iran’s judiciary. They are accused of threatening national security or being an “enemy of God”, and so for being a dissident. Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »