Iran hangs five Kurdish activists convicted of bombings, membership of armed opposition groups
IRAN, — Iran hanged five members of a Kurdish “anti-revolutionary” group for various charges, including “moharebe” or waging war against God, the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday
Farzad Kamangar , Ali Haydarian, Farhad Vakili, Shirin Alam- Houli and Mehdi Eslamian were members of the Iranian Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) took up arms in 2004 for an ethnic homeland in northwest Iran [Eastern Kurdistan].
Kurdish teacher Farzad Kamangar hanged in Iran on Sunday.
“The five, including one woman, were hanged inside Tehran’s Evin prison Sunday morning … They confessed carrying out deadly terrorist operations in the country in the past years,” IRNA said. Read more
Iranian Regime Killed Another Kurdish Student Friday
Eranshar- Iran: Keywan Guderzi, a Kurdish student who was studying in the University of Eranshar was found dead last week. His dead was mysterious and the traces of tortures found on his body. The family of Mr. Guderzi said that he was murdered.
According to the Iranian Human Rights Organisation’s report the dead body of Mr. Guderzi was found at the back of the University’s canteen on 20th April.
Keywan Guderzi is a Kurdish student from the city Gillan in the province of the Kermanshah.
To protest against the fabricated statement that the University’s president made, the whole students of the University went on a strike and refused to attend their classes for a day and they also displayed black flags on the University walls.
http://english.rojhelat.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=221:rojhelat
23 April 2010
Amnesty International – Two Kurds at IMMINENT risk of execution, Iran
Hossein Khezri, a 28-year-old man, and Zeynab Jalalian, a 27-year-old woman, both members of Iran’s Kurdish minority, are feared to be at imminent risk of execution. Both were convicted of “enmity against God”, in separate cases, for membership of the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan.
Hossein Khezri was arrested in Kermanshah in 2008, held in detention facilities under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence and Revolutionary Guards, and was later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in Oromieh, north-west Iran, for “enmity against God” (“moharebeh”). His sentence was upheld in or around August 2009. He said he was tortured and asked for an investigation, but his request was denied in March 2010. On 11 April 2010, he was moved from Oromieh Central Prison to an unknown location, raising fears that his execution may be imminent. Read more
Execution of Hossein Khezri in Iran is imminent
Defend International (DI) has been informed of the imminent execution of Mr. Hossein Khezri, a political activist who was condemned to death after having been accused of being a “mohareb.” He will probably be hanged on April 14. 2010.
DI has sent urgent appeals to the Iranian authorities to halt this scheduled execution. In addition, appeals have been sent to the Council of Europe and the Commissioner for Human Rights to intervene.
Name: Hossein Khezri
Authorities: Iranian
Category: Death penalty / Fear of torture or ill-treatments
The Case:
Mr. Hossein Khezri, aged 28, was detained in the city of Urmiye, and according to the information received on 11 April 2010, he was transferred from Urmiye Prison to an unknown location prior to his execution. Moreover, all his personal belongings were taken away.
On July 31, 2008 Mr. Khezri was arrested in the city of Kermanshah. On July 11, 2009 he was convicted of being a mohareb (“enemy of God”) and “endangering state security.” While in prison, he has been subjected to torture and injured so badly that his eyesight has been affected severely. Read more
Increased Repression of Kurds All Across Iran
In the past 3 months, violations of human rights has increased more than ever in Kurdistan. Arrests, prosecutions, imprisonments, unjust executions and executions of political prisoners have been common practice by the Iranian regime. There have also been numerous reports on suspicious deaths of political prisoners, contributing to the systematic and continuous violations of human rights that exist to this day in Kurdistan.
According to Kurdestan-o Kurd News Agency, this past winter, at least 25 people in Kurdistan lost their lives due to the violation of human rights by the government. 21 of these cases were reported to be of people that lived and owned trading businesses at the border.
This report also clarifies that the execution of Kurdish political prisoner Fasih Yasamani, on January 6, 2010, was ordered in a unofficial and brief trial. Three other Kurdish political prisoners have suspiciously died while serving their time in prison.
Accordingly, 110 Kurdish students that were studying in Kurdistan universities were arrested by the disciplinary police. 22 of them were temporarily suspended from school, while others were permanently expelled. 27 other Kurdish student activists were imprisoned.
This report further demonstrates that 143 other cases of prosecution have been reported. 29 cases were referred to court, where defendants were sentenced from 22 months to 6 years of imprisonment.
It should be mentioned that currently, there are 17 Kurdish political prisoners who are waiting to be executed.
Translation by: Talieh | Persian2English.com
http://kurdishrights.org/2010/03/25/increased-repression-of-kurds-all-across-iran/
March 25, 2010
Rising Conflict in Iranian Kurdistan
One of the most under-reported human rights issues in Iran is the current state of Kurdish political prisoners, and in particular, the current eighteen political prisoners who are on death row and may be facing imminent execution. Unfortunately, serious consequences and escalated conflict may be imminent if the conditions continue to be ignored.
While a few of the individuals on death row such as Farzad Kamangar, Zeynab Jalaliyan and Habibollah Latifi, have received some international attention, most of the Kurdish political prisoners facing execution are virtually unknown. There are currently eighteen Kurdish political prisoners on death row, two of whom are women. All of these individuals were subjected to torture and “tried” behind closed doors in sham trials, and in most cases, without the presence of their lawyers. Read more
Letter from Farzad Kamangar sent to his mother
Below is a letter from Farzad Kamangar, A Kurdish teacher who was sentenced to death for alleged ties to the PKK. In his trial, which lasted seven minutes, neither Kamangar or his lawyer were allowed to speak.
Below is a letter Kamangar sent to his mother recently from Evin prison, where he is held in the political prisoner’s ward 209.
It’s a Strange Time, My Flower
Do not search for me mother
Do not utter my name in front of this prison
Do not search for me here
A star has fallen on your mane
Do not make it tired and tearful Read more
Farzad Kamangar Kurdish Teacher on Death Row Asks for New Trial
In a letter addressed to the Head of the judiciary, Farzad Kamangar, Kurdish teacher & human rights activist on death row asks for a new trail.
RAHANA Prisoners’ Rights Unit – Even his interrogators know Kamangar is an innocent man. They have even admitted to it in front of his lawyer. Still, 3 years after he was arrested, Farzad Kamagar sits in a cell in Tehran’s Evin Prison, awaiting his execution. No date has been set for his execution yet, but the events of the last 7 months and the recent executions of 2 other Kurdish political prisoners, puts him and 20 other Kurdish activists in serious danger of being executed at any moment. In a letter written from Evin and addressed to the head of the judiciary, Kamangar has described the details of his long investigation and his 7 minute trial, arguing that the entire process resulting in his guilty verdict has been unlawful. He has asked, Sadegh Larijani to use his power as the head of the judiciary and order a new trial. Read more
Two more Iranian Kurdish political prisoners sentenced to death
ORUMIYEH, Iranian Kurdistan,— Two Kurdish political prisoners, Mohammad Amin Abdollahi and Ghader Mohammadzadeh, residents of Mir-Abad in Bookan, were sentenced to execution by a second court held for them in Orumiyeh in Iranian Kurdistan (Eastern Kurdistan). The two prisoners were arrested in Mir-Abad of Bokan. They are accused of working with Kurdish anti-government groups. They were first sent to a prison in Bokan and then transferred to the Central Prison of Orumiyeh.
Mohammad Amin Abdollahi is 25 years old. In the first court held for him, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On January 16, 2010, in the second court in Orumiye: he was sentenced to execution for “endangering national security” and “acting against God.”
Kurdish man at imminent risk of execution in Iran 23 January 010
January 23, 2010 by sks
Filed under Iran, News, Support Kurds
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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
