Latest news with #Hengaw
Rudaw Net
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
IRGC denies Kurdish prisoner release despite jail approval: Watchdog
Also in Iran Iran says to respond 'without hesitation' if attacked Iran arrests two over port blast, including senior government employee Hawraman marks centuries-old Komsay ceremony Nuclear talks must secure Iran's interests or be abandoned, says Khamenei aide A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied the conditional release of a Kurdish political prisoner despite the request being approved by the Yazd Central Prison after he served almost 17 years behind bars, a human rights watchdog reported on Sunday. 'Khaled Zamani - a Kurdish political prisoner, father of three daughters and one son, and a native of Khoy - remains deprived of both prison leave and conditional release, despite having served 6,151 days behind bars,' the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization said. Zamani, on a 30-year prison sentence, has faced the 'ongoing denial of furlough by the IRGC's Intelligence Organization,' Hengaw added, with the latest refusal coming despite his conditional release having been approved by the Yazd Central Prison and the city's prosecutor. The denial by the IRGC comes despite 'the approval of Zamani's request by the Classification Council of Yazd Central Prison and the city's prosecutor.' He was arrested on July 1, 2008, by Iranian intelligence forces over charges of alleged membership in the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK). PJAK was established in 2003 and is considered the Iranian wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), but claims its links are only ideological. After its establishment in the Qandil Mountains - an area on the Kurdistan Region's border with Iran where the PKK is also headquartered - PJAK expanded its operations into the Kurdish areas of western Iran, recruiting hundreds of young men and fighting bloody battles with the IRGC. Zamani was sentenced by the Urmia Revolutionary Court to amputation of his left hand and right foot on charges of moharebeh, or enmity against God. Following an appeal, he was sentenced to 30 years in Yazd Central Prison, according to Hengaw. He has been denied furlough since then. Hengaw also reported that he has been subjected to severe physical and psychological torture during his imprisonment. Kurds and other ethnic minorities in Iran face systemic discrimination and disproportionately high rates of death sentences and executions, often on charges related to political activities such as baghi (armed rebellion) or moharebeh (enmity against God). Amnesty International's annual report, published in March, highlighted a sharp rise in executions in Iran in 2024, placing the country among the top three executioners globally. Iran, alongside Iraq and Saudi Arabia, accounted for 91 percent of all known executions worldwide. The report also censured Iranian authorities over their continued weaponization of the death penalty against dissidents, including those who participated in the Jin Jiyan Azadi (Women Life Freedom) protests and especially the minorities. In mid-September 2022, 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa (Zhina) Amini died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran's compulsory hijab law. Her death sparked nationwide protests in Iran, the longest protest movement the country had seen in four decades.
Rudaw Net
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iran executes Kurdish political prisoner
Also in Iran Iran imprisons Kurdish teacher for allegedly threatening national security Iran says talks with US might achieve results Two Kurdish families are fighting death sentences in Iran Teacher beats 13 students in Iran sending shockwaves across the country A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The death sentence of Kurdish prisoner Hamid Hoseinnezhad Heidaranlou has been carried out by Iranian authorities after he was accused of membership in an outlawed Kurdish political party and involvement in the killing of eight border guards, despite footage allegedly showing his innocence. 'After going through the legal process, he [Heidaranlou] was sentenced to death on charges of participating in assassination and murder, and finally, through the demands and pursuit of the families of the martyrs of the border guard, he was punished for his crime,' semi-official Fars News Agency reported late Monday, adding that the family was informed of the execution. Heidaranlou, 40, from the village of Segrik in Chaldoran, was convicted of 'baghi' (Persian word for 'armed rebellion') in connection with his alleged membership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), according to the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization. The PKK is not directly active in Iran, but its offshoot, Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), has carried out attacks against Tehran and is banned in Iran. Fars News Agency did not say when the execution was carried out but Hengaw reported that Heidaranlou was executed early Sunday. 'The execution took place just days after he handed over documents to his family during a visit, which he claimed proved both his innocence and the violations of his legal rights during trial proceedings,' Henagw added. 'There will be no funeral, and you are not allowed to hold any ceremonies,' Hengaw cited Urmia Deputy Prosecutor Behzad Sorkhanlou as telling the family. Fars News Agency on Saturday aired a documentary entitled 'Hamid Hoseinnezhad Confession,' featuring his alleged involvement in the killing of eight border guards in Chaldoran in a clash they had with PJAK in 2017. Chaldoran county is located on the Iranian border with Turkey. The documentary claimed that Heidaranlou was 'affiliated with one of the terrorist groups in the west side of the country' and involved in 'smuggling a terrorist team into the country' on November 3, 2017. These types of confession are widely believed to be coerced, often obtained under threats, psychological pressure, and, in some cases, physical torture. The accusations were made despite evidence purportedly showing that Heidaranlou was outside the country with his family at the time of the incident, according to a photo of an exit stamp on his passport obtained by Hengaw. Rudaw English could not independently verify the authenticity of the photo. In a video published by Hengaw, Heidaranlou's 15-year-old daughter, Ronahi Heidaranlou, urged everyone to save her father's life and claimed that authorities interrogated her under the pretense of arranging a meeting with her father. During the questioning, and in the presence of state-affiliated media cameras, she said she was asked and threatened to state that her father had abandoned the family during the trip in 2017, a request she said she refused. She further stated that her father was tortured and forced to confess, denying the claims presented in the state-produced documentary. 'Under severe torture, he was coerced into confessing to participation in an armed attack against Iran's border guards and the killing of at least eight of them,' Hengaw added. She emphasized that they were traveling at the time of the incident, and her father was innocent. Heidaranlou was arrested on April 13, 2023, near the Chaldoran border by government border forces, nearly six years after the death of the Iranian border guards. 'He was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture in order to force him to confess to participating in the armed conflict between the Kurdistan Workers' Party and the border guards of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in the deaths of eight border guards,' the Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported, citing a 'reliable source.' Iran executed an estimated 909 people in 2024, with Kurds making up 20 percent of the total number, according to Hengaw. Human rights organizations have criticized Tehran's use of the death penalty, especially for minority groups and people who protest against the Iranian government.
Rudaw Net
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Two Kurdish families are fighting death sentences in Iran
Also in Iran Teacher beats 13 students in Iran sending shockwaves across the country Oman to continue mediating US-Iran talks: Tehran Iran's oil minister to visit Iraq, energy deal expected Iran says 'constructive' talks with US to continue next week A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two Kurdish families from western Iran are fighting the death sentences handed down to their loved ones. Pejman Soltani, 32, from Bukan, and Hamid Hoseinnezhad Heidaranlou, 40, from the village of Segrik in Chaldoran, have both been sentenced to death on separate charges by courts in Urmia, according to the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization. Their families are now fighting to raise awareness and halt the executions. Hamid Hoseinnezhad Heidaranlou Heidaranlou was convicted of 'baghi' (armed rebellion) in connection with his alleged membership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and has been 'transferred to solitary confinement in Urmia Central Prison ahead of his scheduled execution,' placing him at imminent risk, according to Hengaw. Iran's state-owned Fars News Agency on Saturday aired a documentary titled 'Hamid Hosseinezhad Confession,' featuring his alleged involvement in the killing of eight border guards in Chaldoran. These types of confession are widely believed to be coerced, often obtained under threats, psychological pressure, and, in some cases, physical torture. 'The continuation of this situation, given the broadcast of Hamid Hoseinnezhad Heidaranlou's forced confessions, brings serious news of the possibility of this verdict being implemented in the coming hours,' Hengaw said in a post Saturday on X accompanied by a video showing family members gathered in front of the Urmia Revolutionary Court. Heidaranlou was able to briefly speak to his family and 'asked them to continue to follow up on his case,' according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network. The family has requested a retrial. Heidaranlou's daughter released a video that was shared by Hengaw. In it, she said Iranian security forces pressured the family to falsely claim that their father had left them during a vacation, trying to link him to a deadly operation where the PKK was accused of killing eight security personnel. Hengaw has obtained a photo of Heidaranlou's passport showing dated exit and entry stamps, contradicting Iran's claim that he was inside the country at the time of the incident. Pejman Soltani Pejman Soltani, 'arrested during the 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadi' (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement in Bukan, has been sentenced to death by Branch One of the Special Juvenile Criminal Court of West Azerbaijan (Urmia) Province,' Hengaw reported on February 9. The protests were sparked in September 2022 when a Kurdish woman, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, died in police custody after she was arrested for allegedly violating Iran's compulsory hijab law. The nationwide protests were the longest anti-government demonstrations the country had seen in four decades. Soltani was convicted of the 'premeditated murder' of a member of the Basij voluntary paramilitary force during the protests. His mother, Fawzia Soltani, told Rudaw that the family of the person killed has agreed to waive the execution sentence in exchange for five billion tomans (around $60,000), as is possible under Iranian law. Seyyed Hassan Bukani, a philanthropist from Bukan, has announced a campaign to raise the money. Iran executed an estimated 909 people in 2024, with Kurds making up 20 percent of the total, according to Hengaw. Human rights organizations have criticized Tehran's use of the death penalty, especially for minority groups and people who protest against the regime. 'In 2024, Iran persisted in their use of the death penalty to punish individuals who had challenged the Islamic Republic establishment during the Woman Life Freedom uprising,' Amnesty International said in a report earlier this month.
Rudaw Net
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Teacher beats 13 students in Iran sending shockwaves across the country
Also in Iran Oman to continue mediating US-Iran talks: Tehran Iran's oil minister to visit Iraq, energy deal expected Iran says 'constructive' talks with US to continue next week US-Iran nuclear talks kick off in Oman A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A teacher in Iran's Kurdistan province is under investigation after reportedly beating 13 primary school students, leaving at least one hospitalized, according to reports from state-affiliated media and human rights groups. Graphic images and videos circulated by Iranian users on social media show children with visible whip marks on their skin, reportedly resulting from the beating they received from their teacher in the village of Karjo in Sanandaj district. The Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization on Monday reported that the teacher assaulted 13 students after accusing them of stealing his mobile phone charger. Hengaw quoted one of the students as stating, 'After the teacher lost his mobile phone charger, he detained us and severely beat us on suspicion of taking it.' The human rights watchdog added that 'one of the students was hospitalized due to the severe injuries' he sustained. Hengaw additionally cited the students as stating that their teacher threatened to file lawsuits against them if they exposed his abuse, warning them that such a complaint could lead to them receiving 'the death penalty once they turned 18.' Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), corroborated Hengaw's report, confirming that a student was seriously injured and hospitalized as a result of the beating. A local education official in Sanandaj, Salah al-Din Mofidi, confirmed to Tasnim that Iranian authorities 'have taken the necessary measures' and that the teacher 'will not be allowed to return to the classroom.' Hashem Nazemi Jalal, head of general education in Iran's Kurdistan province, also confirmed to Tasnim that the teacher is under investigation, pending a final decision.
Rudaw Net
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Mahabad Kurd jailed in Iran for alleged KDPI links
Also in Iran US sanctions target Iranian drone, missile networks Iran threatens shift toward nuclear arms if attacked by US or Israel Iran summons Swiss envoy to protest US 'threats,' potential Israeli 'mischief': FM Iranian intelligence block access to Qazi Muhammad's tomb on execution anniversary A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurd from Mahabad in Iran's West Azerbaijan province has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for allegedly collaborating with the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI). Notably, family members of the convicted individual were previously targeted by Iranian authorities, a watchdog reported on Thursday. Thirty-two-year-old Wahab Khediripour 'was sentenced to 10 months in prison by the [Islamic] Revolutionary Court' of Mahabad, reported the Oslo-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights on Thursday, citing family members as stating that he was being jailed for allegedly "collaborating with' the KDPI. Iran has long been locked down in a conflict with exiled Kurdish opposition groups, including the KDPI, which it designates as a terrorist organization. The groups additionally include Komala, the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) and the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK). Hengaw also noted on Thursday that Wahab Khediripour's brother, Sohrab, was killed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2021 for allegedly being a member of the KDPI. His cousin, Shamal Khediripour, was also one of the victims during the Jin Jiyan Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) uprising in 2022, the watchdog added. In mid-September 2022, a Kurdish woman, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran's compulsory hijab law. Her death sparked nationwide protests in Iran - the longest protest movement the country had seen in four decades. These demonstrations then grew into an anti-government uprising, with Iranian authorities facing international criticism for their brutal crackdown, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests. Hengaw added on Thursday that Khediripour has been denied family visits and access to legal counsel during his detention. His sentence follows his January detention, after which he was 'temporarily released from the city's [Mahabad's] central prison on February 19, 2025, after three weeks of detention on bail of 500 million Tomans [around $6,250 at the time] pending the completion of his trial.' Following Khediripour's January arrest, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups called for a general strike across shops and businesses across the country's Kurdish-majority regions.
