DOCSLIB.ORG

On the Margins: Arrest, Imprisonment and Execution of Kurdish Activists in Iran Today I

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
On the Margins: Arrest, Imprisonment and Execution of Kurdish Activists in Iran Today I On the Margins: Arrest, Imprisonment and Execution of Kurdish Activists in Iran Today i COVER Iran Human Rights Documentation Center The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) believes that the development of an accountability movement and a culture of human rights in Iran are crucial to the long-term peace and security of the country and the Middle East region. As numerous examples have illustrated, the removal of an authoritarian regime does not necessarily lead to an improved human rights situation if institutions and civil society are weak, or if a culture of human rights and democratic governance has not been cultivated. By providing Iranians with comprehensive human rights reports, data about past and present human rights violations, and information about international human rights standards, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the IHRDC programs will strengthen Iranians’ ability to demand accountability, reform public institutions, and promote transparency and respect for human rights. Encouraging a culture of human rights within Iranian society as a whole will allow political and legal reforms to have real and lasting weight. The IHRDC seeks to: . Establish a comprehensive and objective historical record of the human rights situation in Iran, and on the basis of this record, establish responsibility for patterns of human rights abuses; . Make the record available in an archive that is accessible to the public for research and educational purposes; . Promote accountability, respect for human rights and the rule of law in Iran; and . Encourage an informed dialogue on the human rights situation in Iran among scholars and the general public in Iran and abroad. Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 129 Church Street New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA Tel: +1-(203)-772-2218 Fax: +1-(203)-772-1782 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.iranhrdc.org © 2012 All Rights Reserved. Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, New Haven, Connecticut On the Margins: Arrest, Imprisonment and Execution of Kurdish Activists in Iran Today Iran Human Rights Documentation Center April 2012 Table of Contents Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1 1. History and Background on Kurds in Iran .................................................................................6 1.1 Before the Islamic Republic ..................................................................................................6 1.2 After the Islamic Revolution ................................................................................................. 7 1.3 Rafsanjani’s Presidency .........................................................................................................8 1.4 The Khatami Era ................................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Targeting of Kurdish Activists during Ahmadinejad’s First Presidential Term (2005) .......10 1.5.1 The Killing of Shawaneh Ghaderi .................................................................................11 2. Arrest, Imprisonment and Execution of Activists ..................................................................... 12 2.1. Executed Kurdish Prisoners ............................................................................................... 15 2.1.1. Farzad Kamangar, Farhad Vakili, and Ali Haidarian ...................................................16 2.1.2. Shirin Alamhooli ......................................................................................................... 19 2.1.3. Ehsan Fattahian ........................................................................................................... 22 2.1.4. Fasih Yasamani ............................................................................................................23 2.1.5. Hossein Khezri ............................................................................................................ 23 2.2 Former Political Prisoners ...................................................................................................24 2.2.1. Sabah Nasri ..................................................................................................................24 2.2.2. Yaser Goli .................................................................................................................... 26 2.2.3. Amir Ahmadi .............................................................................................................. 28 2.2.4. Kaveh Tahmasebi ........................................................................................................ 29 2.2.5 Amir Babakri ................................................................................................................ 32 2.2.6. Faegh Rourast ..............................................................................................................33 2.2.7. Shima Asaadi ...............................................................................................................35 2.2.8. Zaynab Bayazidi ..........................................................................................................36 2.3. Prisoners on Death Row .....................................................................................................36 2.3.1. Habibollah Golparipour ...............................................................................................37 2.3.2. Zanyar Moradi and Loghman Moradi ......................................................................... 40 2.3.3. Habib Latifi ..................................................................................................................42 2.3.4. Amjad, Anvar, and Rafiq Hossein-Panahi ................................................................... 43 2.3.5. Adnan Hassanpour .......................................................................................................44 2.3.6. Hiva Boutimar ............................................................................................................. 45 3. Security Laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Repression of the Kurdish Community ... 46 3.1 “Security” Laws – Problems of Text and Application ....................................................... 46 3.1.1. The Security Laws as Applied .................................................................................... 47 3.1.2. The Security Laws as Written ..................................................................................... 48 3.2 Islamic Republic of Iran’s Treatment of Kurdish Political and Civil Activists Violates the Iranian Constitution and laws ........................................................................................ 48 3.3 The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Campaign Against Kurdish Activists and International Human Rights Law ............................................................................................................. 51 3.3.1 Freedom of Expression, Assembly and Association .................................................. 51 3.3.2 Due Process ................................................................................................................ 52 3.3.3 Detention, Interrogation and Torture ........................................................................... 53 4. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 54 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 55 Appendix I .................................................................................................................................... 56 Appendix II ................................................................................................................................... 65 Appendix III .................................................................................................................................. 77 On the Margins: Arrest, Imprisonment and Execution of Kurdish Activists in Iran Today 1 Introduction In July 2006, Farzad Kamangar, a high school teacher in the city of Kamyaran in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and Kurdish rights activist, was arrested by IRI security forces. Following his arrest, Kamangar was held for nearly four years in various detention centers. During Kamangar’s detention, he endured repeated instances of severe torture. In a letter Kamangar wrote from prison, his suffering speaks for itself: They took me to a room [where they questioned me]. When writing down my information [I had to disclose] my ethnicity, and every time I answered “Kurdish,” they beat me with a whip that looked like some kind of hose. They also insulted me and beat me because of my religion. They beat me to their heart’s desire because of the Kurdish music that was on my mobile phone. They tied my hands, sat me in a chair, and put pressure on the sensitive parts of my body. They also took off my clothes and threatened me with rape by harassing me with batons and sticks. My left leg was badly damaged [while I was] there, and I passed out from simultaneous electric shocks and blows to my head. Ever since I regained consciousness, I feel like I have lost my sense of balance and I shake uncontrollably.1 For years, Farzad Kamangar engaged in non-violent political activism on behalf of Iran’s Kurdish
Load more

Recommended publications
  • My Speech-KNC-22-For Website
    Violation of Kurdish Human Rights in Iran 22 nd Conference of Kurdish National congress of North America Soraya Fallah Under the authority of Islamic Republic of Iran several campaign of ethnocide has taken place. Kurds in Iran suffer tremendous discrimination, deprivation of resources, arbitrary arrests, and human rights violations . Amnesty International(AI), Human Rights Watch(HRW), The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) , and several other local and domestic Kurdish human Rights organizations have reported the Islamic Republic’s atrocities against the Kurds, while calling “on the Iranian government to amend or abolish its security laws, press laws, and other legislation that allow the government to suppress the speech and activities of a range of individuals and to arrest them for exercising their rights to peaceful expression and association. Human Rights Watch also urges the Iranian government to respect its international obligations, as well as basic rights stated in declaration of human rights , in granting and respecting the social, cultural, and religious rights of the Kurdish people.” Unfortunately, historically, any International calls for the recognition of the human rights of the Kurds have fallen on deaf ears in Iran and we don’t expect this call to be any different. In the past several 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 authority. There have also been numerous reports on suspicious deaths of political prisoners, contributing to the systematic and continuous violations of human rights that presently exist in Kurdistan.
    [Show full text]
  • IRAN COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service
    IRAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service Date 28 June 2011 IRAN JUNE 2011 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN FROM 14 MAY TO 21 JUNE Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 14 MAY AND 21 JUNE Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Maps ...................................................................................................................... 1.04 Iran ..................................................................................................................... 1.04 Tehran ................................................................................................................ 1.05 Calendar ................................................................................................................ 1.06 Public holidays ................................................................................................... 1.07 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 Pre 1979: Rule of the Shah .................................................................................. 3.01 From 1979 to 1999: Islamic Revolution to first local government elections ... 3.04 From 2000 to 2008: Parliamentary elections
    [Show full text]
  • Iran Page 1 of 43
    2010 Human Rights Report: Iran Page 1 of 43 Home » Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs » Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor » Releases » Human Rights Reports » 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices » Near East and North Africa » Iran 2010 Human Rights Report: Iran* BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices April 8, 2011 The Islamic Republic of Iran, with a population of approximately 77 million, is a constitutional, theocratic republic in which Shia Muslim clergy, and political leaders vetted by the clergy, dominate the key power structures. Government legitimacy is based on the twin pillars of popular sovereignty--albeit restricted--and the rule of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution. The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not directly elected but chosen by a directly elected body of religious leaders, the Assembly of Experts, in 1989. Khamenei's writ dominates the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. He directly controls the armed forces and indirectly controls internal security forces, the judiciary, and other key institutions. The legislative branch is the popularly elected 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly, or Majles. The unelected 12-member Guardian Council reviews all legislation the Majles passes to ensure adherence to Islamic and constitutional principles; it also screens presidential and Majles candidates for eligibility. Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, a member of the Alliance of Builders political party, was reelected president in June 2009 in a multiparty election that was generally considered neither free nor fair. There were numerous instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran COI Compilation September 2013
    Iran COI Compilation September 2013 ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria. Commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Division of International Protection. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author. ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Iran COI Compilation September 2013 This report serves the specific purpose of collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. It is not intended to be a general report on human rights conditions. The report is prepared on the basis of publicly available information, studies and commentaries within a specified time frame. All sources are cited and fully referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Every effort has been made to compile information from reliable sources; users should refer to the full text of documents cited and assess the credibility, relevance and timeliness of source material with reference to the specific research concerns arising from individual applications. © Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD An electronic version of this report is available on www.ecoi.net. Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD Wiedner Hauptstraße 32 A- 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 58 900 – 582 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.redcross.at/accord ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria.
    [Show full text]
  • Fraser2013.Pdf (3.034Mb)
    This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: • This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. • A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. • This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. • The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. • When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Life and Limb Irreversible hadd penalties in Iranian criminal courts and opportunities to avoid them Antonia Fraser Fujinaga Doctor of Philosophy The University of Edinburgh 2013 Declaration I, Antonia Fraser Fujinaga, declare that this thesis is exclusively my own work and based entirely on my own research, and has never been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Antonia Fraser Fujinaga. April 2013. i ii Abstract. This is a study of hudud - Islamic 'fixed penalties' - as they appear in Iranian law and courts. It first presents the codified laws and underlying elements from Twelver Shi‘i law (as interpreted by the Iranian legal community) governing the penalties of stoning for adultery, amputation of four fingers for theft, and execution for sodomy and certain variants of fornication (illicit carnal congress between unmarried males and females).
    [Show full text]
  • Iran March 2009
    COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN, FROM 2 FEBRUARY 2009 TO 16 MARCH 2009 REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 2 FEBRUARY 2009 TO 16 MARCH 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 1.01 Maps .............................................................................................. 1.03 Iran............................................................................................. 1.03 Tehran ....................................................................................... 1.04 2. ECONOMY ............................................................................................ 2.01 Sanctions ...................................................................................... 2.13 3. HISTORY ............................................................................................... 3.01 Calendar ........................................................................................ 3.02 Pre 1979......................................................................................... 3.03 1979 to 1999 .................................................................................. 3.05 2000 to date................................................................................... 3.16 Student unrest .............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • ISIS and the Sunni Separatists Aim Fire at Iran Visit WEB Receive Newsletter
    Opinion Document 62/2017 5 June, 2017 Ely Karmon* ISIS and the Sunni Separatists Aim Fire at Iran Visit WEB Receive Newsletter ISIS and the Sunni Separatists Aim Fire at Iran Abstract: Iran has a central and controversial role in Middle East politics. It is on the one hand one of the intervening actors in the conflicts of the zone and on the other it suffers from terrorism in its territory, in the Baluchistan and Iranian Kurdistan as well as from ISIS. It is to be foreseen an increase of the terrorist activity of this group in the country once the ISIS is defeated in Syria and Irak. Keywords: Iran, terrorism, ISIS, Baluchistan, Kurdistan * NOTE: The ideas contained in the Opinion Documents are the responsibility of their authors, without necessarily reflecting the thinking of the IEEE or the Ministry of Defense. Documento de Opinión 62/2017 1 ISIS and the Sunni Separatists Aim Fire at Iran Ely Karmon The ISIS threat On March 26, 2017, the ISIS information office in Diyala Province, Iraq, published a 37- minute video in Farsi, with some parts in the Baluchi dialect, titled, "Persia – Between Yesterday and Today." The video accuses Iranian Shi'ites of committing many crimes against Sunnis and oppressing the Sunni population of Iran, "exporting the revolution," spreading Shi'ism, and secretly collaborating with the U.S. and Israel. The main speakers in the video are Abu Faruq al-Farisi, speaking Farsi, Abu Mujahid al- Baluchi, speaking Baluchi, and Abu Sa'd al-Ahwazi (from the Ahwaz region). The three speakers call on Iranian Sunnis to rise up against the current Iranian regime and “join the path of jihad.” The group is comprised of "Persian" fighters belonging to the Salman Al- Farisi Brigade, training in urban combat and firing at targets with images of Khomeini, Khamenei, and other Iranian leaders.1 Consistent with ISIS practice, the video documents the execution of four members of Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq.
    [Show full text]
  • Kurds in Iran
    DIAC-IN-CONFIDENCE ISSUES PAPER Iran Kurds in Iran January 2010 REF: IRN12012010 COUNTRY RESEARCH SECTION, ONSHORE PROTECTION BRANCH This document has been prepared by the Country Research Section (CRS), Onshore Protection Branch of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra, ACT. The document does not purport to represent the views of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on any matter with which it deals. The purpose of this paper is to assist decision makers in rapidly familiarising issues through a brief that has a specific focus on the Refugees Convention and other key human rights elements in the country of reference. The information is compiled from Government and publicly available sources. However, CRS does not guarantee that the information is exhaustive or conclusive as country conditions are subject to change. This document must not be cited directly. Case managers must form their own views based on the original information and refer to the original source documentation. Any request to access this document under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, should be referred to CRS for decision on release. DIAC-IN-CONFIDENCE Issues Paper 2010 DIAC-IN-CONFIDENCE Table of Content Executive Summary ....................................................................................... 3 Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................ 3 1. Background and Current Situation ............................................................ 4 1.1 Population and Geographic
    [Show full text]
  • Jnmmjournal of Nuclear Materials Management
    VolumeVolume XLVI, XLVI, Number Number 3 3 Journal of Nuclear Materials Management JNMMJNMMJournal of Nuclear Materials Management Introduction to the JNMM Special Issue on Open Source 4 andTitle Geospatial Information Analysis Page number JacquesArticle BauteAuthors SPECIAL Title Page number Article AuthorsATitle Note From The Editors of The Special Issue Page 8number ISSUE ZoeArticle N. Gastelum, Authors Joshua Rutkowski, Yana Feldman on Open Source Title Page number and Geospatial Article AuthorsATitle Visual Atlas on Strategic Trade Page 10number CristinaArticle Versino, Authors Simone Cagno, Peter Heine, Julie Carrera Information Analysis Title AutomatedTitle Processing of Open Source Information for Page Pagenumber 21number Article AuthorsNonproliferationArticle Authors Purposes Ian J. Stewart, Alexander Lee, Ahmed ElGebaly Title Page number Article AuthorsInferring the Operational Status of Nuclear Facilities with 37 Convolutional Neural Networks to Support International Safeguards Verification Zoe N. Gastelum, Timothy M. Shead Site Monitoring with Sentinel-1 Dual Polarization SAR 48 Imagery Using Google Earth Engine Joshua Rutkowski, Morton J. Canty, Allan A. Nielsen Enhancing the Geospatial Exploitation System within the 60 IAEA Department of Safeguards Antero Keskinen, Jacques Baute, Mark Carey, Jonetta Ng, Fatjon Ujkani Toward a Multimodal-Deep Learning Retrieval System for Monitoring Nuclear Proliferation Activities 68 Yana Feldman, Margaret Arno, Carmen Carrano, Brenda Ng, Barry Chen A Definitive Pipeline to Display Multivariate Geotechnical Data 81 in a 3D Environment James B.A. Palmer, J. Stevanović Geo-based Data Integration (GDI) in the 97 IAEA Department of Safeguards M. Barletta, A. Yeoh, A. Marques-Patricio, N. Sumarokov, S. Robb, M. Fowler, M. Carey The IAEA’s Physical Model: Fine-Tuning Nuclear Fuel Cycle 107 Understanding for Robust State-Level Safeguards Brian D.
    [Show full text]
  • MDE 130622010 from Protest to Prison WITHOUT PICTURE
    FROM PROTEST TO PRISON IRAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE ELECTION Amnesty International Publications First published in 2010 by Amnesty International Publications International Secretariat Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org Copyright Amnesty International Publications 2008 Index: MDE 13/062/2010 Original Language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers. Amnesty International is a global movement of 2.2 million people in more than 150 countries and territories, who campaign on human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments. We research, campaign, advocate and mobilize to end abuses of human rights. Amnesty International is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. Our work is largely financed by contributions from our membership and donations CONTENTS 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................5 2. Who are the prisoners? ..............................................................................................9 Political activists .....................................................................................................10
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Imagining National Struggle
    Centre for Middle Eastern Studies Re-imagining national struggle Resistance narratives within the exiled Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies Author: Carl Bradshaw Advisors: Vittorio Felci and Torsten Janson Examiner: Rola El-Husseini Date: June 20, 2019 I am in love with the mountains, hills, and rocks. Even if I freeze today because of hunger and nudity, I will not submit to the settlements of the foreigner as long as I am on this land. I am not afraid of chains nor cords nor sticks nor prison. Cut in pieces until they kill me, I will still say that I am a Kurd. Hemin Mukriyani, Poet Laureate of the Republic of Kurdistan (Natali 2005, 127) ii Abstract In 2016 the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) decided to modify its resistance strategy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). This study analyses political imaginations within the displaced KDPI community in Iraqi Kurdistan through a social constructivist paradigm and the methods of observations and interviews. Findings highlight “insider views” of resistance and outline how identity processes and memory cultures are pivotal to comprehend resistance narratives within the KDPI community. The study further suggests that identity construction is manufactured by broader shared values rather than narrow ethno-cultural allegiance, while being enunciated through nationalist discourse in pursuit of ideational legitimacy. Concerning memory, findings indicate that history is reconstructed to support present political needs. Memories emblematize values of heroism and trauma, constituting a central power resource through which KDPI members express their identity constructions and legitimize resistance.
    [Show full text]
  • From Protest to Prison: Iran One Year After the Election 5
    from protest to pri son IrAn onE yEAr AftEr tHE ELECtIon amnesty international is a global movement of 2.8 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of human rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. amnesty international publications first published in 2010 by amnesty international publications international secretariat peter Benenson house 1 easton street london Wc1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org © amnesty international publications 2010 index: mDe 13/062/2010 original language: english printed by amnesty international, international secretariat, United Kingdom all rights reserved. this publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy, campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale. the copyright holders request that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. for copying in any other circumstances, or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be payable. Cover phot o: Demonstration in tehran following the disputed 12 June 2009 presidential election. © Javad montazeri Back cover phot o: a mass “show trial” in tehran’s revolutionary court, 25 august 2009; defendants are dressed in grey. © ap/pa photo/fars news agency, hasan Ghaedi CONTENTS 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................5 2.
    [Show full text]