Latest news with #HengawHumanRightsOrganization
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
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iran arrested 41 Kurds over Newroz celebrations: Watchdog
Also in Iran Seven arrested in Iran's Kurdistan for 'anti-regime propaganda' during Newroz Negotiations with US not possible until 'certain things' change: Iran FM Anti-Kurdish chants in Urmia raise concern over ethnic tensions Iran says waited for compensation from US after nuclear accord withdrawal A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran has arrested at least 41 Kurdish citizens, including six minors, in connection with Newroz celebrations and has reportedly threatened thousands more in an effort to prevent the Kurdish New Year festivities in the country's western Kurdish areas (Rojhelat), a human rights watchdog reported Monday. 'In recent days, thousands of Kurdish citizens have been summoned and interrogated by security institutions, and at least 41 people, including 6 children, have been arrested,' the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization said on Monday. The arrests were carried out in the cities of Urmia, Oshnavieh (Shno), Sardasht, Saqqez, Marivan, Sanandaj, Piranshahr, and Kermanshah. 'The security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are trying to prevent the event every year by creating an atmosphere of terror, summoning, threatening and detention of Kurdish citizens,' Hengaw added. On Sunday, Iranian authorities said they arrested seven Kurdish individuals accused of participating in 'anti-regime propaganda activities' under the guise of Newroz celebrations in Kurdistan Province, west of the country. Newroz, which marks the first day of spring, is widely celebrated by Kurds in western Iran. However, Iranian authorities have frequently clamped down on Kurdish celebrations during Newroz, banning some Kurdish symbols and songs, and prohibiting certain types of Kurdish attire, namely the Jamaneh and Khaki. The Jamaneh and khaki are traditional Kurdish outfits often worn by Kurdish groups that oppose the Iranian establishment. They are widely seen as symbols of resistance among Kurds, many of whom share images of themselves wearing them on social media as an act of dissent. Iran additionally prohibits the Kurdish folk dance, known as Halparke, which is performed by mixed groups of men and women who dance holding hands, a custom not welcomed by Iran's political and religious authorities. Last week, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deployed to Kurdish-majority regions and set up temporary checkpoints to interrogate people, according to the Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network. Meanwhile, Hengaw reported clashes between those celebrating Newroz and Iranian security forces in Kurdish-majority regions.
Rudaw Net
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish clothing in high demand among Kurds in Iran
Also in Iran Iranian FM calls US removal of Iraq waiver 'deplorable' Iran condemns US for rescinding Iraq gas waiver We will not negotiate under pressure: Iranian FM Iran will not wait for negotiations with US, says Ghalibaf A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Traditional Kurdish clothing shops in Iran's western Kurdish areas (Rojhelat) have noticed a growing demand for Kurdish attire among young people over the past two years. 'Compared to the previous years, the demand for Kurdish clothes among the youth has increased, and Khaki clothes especially are in demand and have been the trend of the year,' Shahram Ghaderi, a Kurdish clothes tailor in the town of Oshnavieh (Shno) in West Azerbaijan province, told Rudaw on Monday. Jamaneh and khaki are traditional Kurdish outfits that have often been worn by opposition groups and are considered symbols of resistance. People often share photographs of themselves wearing traditional attire on social media as a show of dissent. 'During Newroz in the past two years, we have experienced the highest demand for Kurdish clothing, especially among the youth. Additionally, at weddings, people rarely wear suits nowadays, and their demand has significantly declined,' said Salah Rasouli, a Kurdish clothing boutique salesman. Both Rasuoli and Ghaderi stressed that the price of fabrics used for Kurdish clothes is increasing yearly due to economic disability and Iran's worsening inflation. In Rojhelat, people welcome Newroz weeks ahead by wearing traditional Kurdish attire. Iranian security forces frequently detain Kurdish civilians during March every year as they celebrate Newroz, the Kurdish New Year. The country prohibits the use of Kurdish symbols and songs during the holiday and has banned traditional Kurdish folk dances known as halparke, performed by mixed groups of men and women. On Friday, Hengaw Human Rights Organization, an Oslo-based human rights watchdog, warned that Iran's intelligence service has summoned dozens of people and instructed them not to wear traditional Kurdish clothing during Newroz celebrations later this month. In January, 58 Kurds from Mahabad, Bukan, and Piranshahr, including family members of victims of the Jin Jiyan Azadi (Women, Life, Freedom) protest movement, were summoned by Iran's judiciary after attending a wedding ceremony wearing traditional clothes. Hengaw said they were accused of 'propaganda against the state.'
Rudaw Net
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iranian rapper faces new charges
Also in Iran Khamenei says 'unwise' to negotiate with US Iranian court refuses retrial for Kurdish woman sentenced to death Iran calls Trump's maximum pressure a 'failed experience' Trump reimposes 'maximum pressure' on Iran A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Well-known Iranian rapper and outspoken critic of the authorities Toomaj Salehi said on Saturday that he has been summoned to court after releasing a new music track. 'On February 18, I was called to court with several different charges regarding the music Tifus, and I don't think I need to be in court because of this music unless the people I dissed come to court with their national ID cards and file a complaint,' Salehi said in a video on Youtube. Salehi was arrested during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom uprising in connection with his support for the movement, as well as for his music, in which he publicly denounced repressive policies of the Iranian authorities and use of the death penalty, according to Amnesty International. He was detained in Esfahan Central Prison and sentenced to death for charges of corruption on earth. His death sentence was overturned after the case gained widespread attention and he received significant international support. He was instead sentenced to one year in jail, as well as 'a two-year revocation of his passport, and mandatory participation in a "behavior management" class,' Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported on January 1, 2024. Salehi announced in a post on X that he was released on December 1, 2024. In his Youtube video, he said he does not understand why he is being prosecuted again. 'I was taken to court once for every piece of music I played and everything else - not just once, but multiple times - and I don't think it should be necessary anymore. It's strange to me that I have to go to court again,' Salehi said. In his new song Tifus, Salehi criticizes musicians who support the Iranian government.
