For more of the latest Kurdish news, see these sources:
ANF English https://anfenglishmobile.com/
Hawar News https://hawarnews.com/en/
Rojhelat http://rojhelat.info/en/
Komun Academy https://komun-academy.com
CHRI https://www.iranhumanrights.org/
Iran Human Rights https://iranhr.net/en/
Kurdistan Press Agency https://kurdpa.net/en
Kurdistan24 https://www.kurdistan24.net/en
Rudaw https://www.rudaw.net/english
Al-Monitor https://www.al-monitor.com
KHRN http://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en
KMMK https://kmmk-ge.org/
Hengaw https://hengaw.net/en
NEWS
1. Iranians enter Iraq via Kurdish borders for holy pilgrimage
2. Iran court sentences Kurdish woman to 12.5 years in prison
3. Iran revokes death penalties handed to three protesters
4. Iran Human Rights Calls for Revocation of Death Sentences Against LGBTQI+ Activists Zahra Sedighi and Elham Choobdar
5. Border guards wound nine kolbars in Iran’s western border areas
6. Iranian forces kill a kolbar in Rojhilat
7. London Kurdish Film Festival launches official trailer for this year’s edition
8. Sine Court sentences 5 Kurdish activists to 5 months in prison
9. Maryam Akbari-Monfared Beaten and Strangled for Daughters’ Refusal to Wear Prison Chador in Visitation
10. Sepideh Rashnoo: Latest Target of Raisi Government’s Campaign of Repression
11. PM Barzani discusses access to shared water with Iranian governor
12. Kurdish opposition parties of Iran reunite after years of being separated
13. 95 percent of Lake Urmia has dried up
14. Iran security forces detain 10 Kurdish civilians in Bukan, Mahabad
15. Hard-line Iranian media praises Rushdie attack
16. Salman Rushdie is Yet Another Victim of Iran’s Extraterritorial Censorship
17. Rojhilat woman activist arrested in Saqiz18. Prioritizing Human Rights in Iran: A New U.S. Foreign Policy Approac
19. Iranian satellite to help agricultural production, disaster management
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Political Prisoner Behnam Mousivand’s Life is in Danger
2. UN, Governments Worldwide Must Speak Out for LGBTQ Activists Sentenced to Death in Iran
REPORTS
1. August 2022: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
2. The reason of increasing of killing of Kolbars on the Baneh border + the statistics of dead and injured 47 Kolbars in July and August
3. In six days, 22 people were arrested in Mahabad, Bokan, Miandoab and Oshnavieh
———————
NEWS
1. Iranians enter Iraq via Kurdish borders for holy pilgrimage
07 September 2022 | Rudaw
Tens of thousands of Iranian Shiite Muslims will embark upon their journeys to central Iraq from the Kurdistan Region’s borders to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage in the holy city of Karbala later this month, an official told Rudaw on Wednesday. https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/07092022
2. Iran court sentences Kurdish woman to 12.5 years in prison
06 September 2022 | KHRN
Branch 3 of the Criminal Court 1 in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province, has sentenced a detained Kurdish woman named Saada Khedirzadeh to 12 years and six months in prison. The court charged Khedirzadeh with “aiding and abetting the murder” of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member named Khedr Peyrouti and “helping a suspect to escape”.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-court-sentences-kurdish-woman-to-12-5-years-in-prison/
3. Iran revokes death penalties handed to three protesters
06 September 2022 | Al-Monitor
A court in the Iranian capital handed five-year jail sentences to three anti-government protesters, officially reversing their death penalties issued at a trial in 2020. The three, Amir-Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi, were detained during the country’s November 2019 unrest that was triggered by an unpopular fuel price hike plan.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/09/iran-revokes-death-penalties-handed-three-protesters
4. Iran Human Rights Calls for Revocation of Death Sentences Against LGBTQI+ Activists Zahra Sedighi and Elham Choobdar
06 September 2022 | IHR
According to the Judiciary’s Mizan Newsagency, 31-year-old Zahra (Sareh) Sedighi, a Naghdeh native and 24-year-old Elham Choobdar from Urmia, two Iranian LGBTQI+ activists, were sentenced to death on charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) by the Urmia Revolutionary Court.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5460/
5. Border guards wound nine kolbars in Iran’s western border areas
05 September 2022 | KHRN
Iran’s Border Guard Command forces have shot and wounded at least nine kolbars in the country’s western borders in the past few days. On 4 September, border forces targeted kolbars in three areas in Nowsud, Kermanshah province, injuring four kolbars identified as Eghbal Alizadeh, Hemmat Abdi, Ali Ahmadi and Parviz Moradi.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/border-guards-wound-nine-kolbars-in-irans-western-border-areas/
6. Iranian forces kill a kolbar in Rojhilat
01 September 2022 | ANF
A young man called Serdeştli Salih Reşidzade died as the result of an armed attack carried out by Iranian forces in the Rojhilat city of Bane. Reşitzade worked as a kolbar, transborder worker.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/iranian-forces-kill-a-kolbar-in-rojhilat-62222
7. London Kurdish Film Festival launches official trailer for this year’s edition
27 August 2022 | ANF
The 13th London Kurdish Film Festival (LKFF) will be returning this September. This is a highly important edition as LKFF returns to the big screens after two successful online global editions organised during the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/culture/london-kurdish-film-festival-launches-official-trailer-for-this-year-s-edition-62116
8. Sine Court sentences 5 Kurdish activists to 5 months in prison
25 August 2022 | ANF
According to Kolbernews, 5 Kurdish activists named Ferdin Rahmi, Eli Weysi, Mehdi Seyfi, Sirwan Abdullahi and Merziye Murad Veysi, members of the “Jiyana Kurdistan” campaign, were detained by Iranian forces on 29 April 2022, and released a few days later.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/sine-court-sentences-5-kurdish-activists-to-5-months-in-prison-62072
9. Maryam Akbari-Monfared Beaten and Strangled for Daughters’ Refusal to Wear Prison Chador in Visitation
24 August 2022 | IHR
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, Maryam Akbari-Monfared was physically beaten and strangled by prison officials in Semnan Prison on the morning of August 24. Speaking to Iran Human Rights, an informed source said: “Today was visitation day in Semnan prison and Maryam’s family had gone to see her. After passing through security, two of Maryam’s daughters were on their way to the visitation room when Majid Kordi, the deputy warden, called them in the most insulting manner and told them they wouldn’t be able to see their mother unless their wore prison chadors”.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5432/
10. Sepideh Rashnoo: Latest Target of Raisi Government’s Campaign of Repression
23 August 2022 | CHRI
Charges filed against a woman in Iran, Sepideh Rashnoo, after she was accosted by another woman who accused her of failing to comply with the government’s compulsory hijab law, highlight the state’s repressive stance towards those who engage in civil disobedience, and the courage of those who strive for basic rights despite harsh adversity.
https://iranhumanrights.org/2022/08/sepideh-rashno-latest-target-of-raisi-governments-campaign-of-repression/
11. PM Barzani discusses access to shared water with Iranian governor
23 August 2022 | K24
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday discussed the issue of water scarcity and access to the shared water between Iraq’s semi-autonomous region and Iran, according to a statement.
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/29302-PM-Barzani-discusses-access-to-shared-water-with-Iranian-governor-%C2%A0%C2%A0
12. Kurdish opposition parties of Iran reunite after years of being separated
21 August 2022 | Rudaw
The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and Iran’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP-Iran) on Sunday announced their reunification after they split nearly 16 years ago, calling the reunion “a new stage” in their opposition to the Iranian state.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/21082022
13. 95 percent of Lake Urmia has dried up
18 August 2022 | ANF
The water level in Lake Urmia in East Kurdistan is decreasing due to drought.
Isa Kalanteri, former head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Agency, said in a statement that if Lake Urmia dried up, the Iranian government could face security problems and no government would be able to maintain its rule in Iran.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/ecology/95-percent-of-lake-urmia-has-dried-up-61939
14. Iran security forces detain 10 Kurdish civilians in Bukan, Mahabad
17 August 2022 | KHRN
Following the new wave of arrests of Kurdish civilians and activists in Iran, at least 10 civilians were arrested by the security forces in the cities of Bukan, Mahabad, and Miandoab in West Azerbaijan province and taken to an undisclosed location in the past week.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-security-forces-detain-10-kurdish-civilians-bukan-mahabad/
15. Hard-line Iranian media praises Rushdie attack
15 August 2022 | Al-Monitor
Hard-line Iranian media has praised the knife attack on the author Salman Rushdie, who once had a death sentence issued against him by the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/08/hard-line-iranian-media-praises-rushdie-attack
16. Salman Rushdie is Yet Another Victim of Iran’s Extraterritorial Censorship
15 August 2022 | CHRI
The heinous attack in New York on the author Salman Rushdie, in which a knifeman inflicted life-threatening injuries, stems from the Islamic Republic’s longstanding policy of stifling freedom of expression both inside and outside its borders, as well as its refusal to rescind a deadly religious decree against Rushdie, said the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).
https://iranhumanrights.org/2022/08/salman-rushdie-is-yet-another-victim-of-irans-extraterritorial-censorship/
17. Rojhilat woman activist arrested in Saqiz
10 August 2022 | ANF
A Rojhilat woman activist from East Kurdistan named Zemane Zêwye was detained and sent to prison due to a 10-month prison sentence previously handed out to her by the Revolutionary Court in the city of Saqiz.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/rojhilat-woman-activist-arrested-in-saqiz-61763
18. Prioritizing Human Rights in Iran: A New U.S. Foreign Policy Approach
09 August 2022 | CHRI
The Center for Human Rights in Iran’s (CHRI) new briefing…lays out a U.S. foreign policy approach to Iran that affords human rights a central role, equal in importance to and pursued on par with other political, economic and strategic policy streams and objectives.
https://iranhumanrights.org/2022/08/prioritizing-human-rights-in-iran-a-new-u-s-foreign-policy-approach/
19. Iranian satellite to help agricultural production, disaster management
05 August 2022 | Al-Monitor
Iran experiences water issues due to inefficiency, drought and other factors, and this relates to the agricultural sector as well as sandstorms.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/08/iranian-satellite-help-agricultural-production-disaster-management
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Political Prisoner Behnam Mousivand’s Life is in Danger
07 September 2022 | CHRI
A political prisoner’s precarious health situation is raising fears of another rpreventable death in Iranian state custody due to the authorities’ denial of proper medical treatment, said the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) in a statement today.
https://iranhumanrights.org/2022/09/political-prisoner-behnam-mousivands-life-is-in-danger/
2. UN, Governments Worldwide Must Speak Out for LGBTQ Activists Sentenced to Death in Iran
06 September 2022 | CHRI
The international community should loudly and publicly condemn the blatantly unlawful death sentences issued without due process against two LGBTQ activists in West Azerbaijan Province, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said in a statement today.
https://iranhumanrights.org/2022/09/un-governments-worldwide-must-speak-out-for-lgbtq-activists-sentenced-to-death-in-iran/
REPORTS
1. August 2022: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
02 September 2022 | KHRN
Investigations carried out by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) show that many Kurdish civilians and activists from Iran have become victims of human rights violations in August 2022.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/august-2022-human-rights-violations-in-iranian-kurdistan/
2. The reason of increasing of killing of Kolbars on the Baneh border + the statistics of dead and injured 47 Kolbars in July and August
24 August 2022 | Kurdpa
In the past months, the Baneh border has witnessed the killing and wounding of many Kolbars, so that in August alone, a total of 30 Kolbers were killed and wounded on this border.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/the-reason-of-increasing-of-killing-of-kolbars-on-the-baneh-border-the-statistics-of-dead-and-injured-47-kolbars-in-july-and-august
3. In six days, 22 people were arrested in Mahabad, Bokan, Miandoab and Oshnavieh
21 August 2022 | Kurdpa
From the 11th to the 16th of August, a wave of arrests by the security agencies of the cities of Mahabad, Bokan, Miandoab and Oshnavieh resulted in the arrest of 22 people. In all these cities, arrests were carried out in bulk and were generally accompanied by raids on homes and workplaces.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/in-six-days-22-people-were-arrested-in-mahabad-bokan-miandoab-and-oshnavieh
Peace in Kurdistan
Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish Question
Email: estella@gn.apc.org
https://www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peaceinkurdistan1/
Contacts Estella Schmid: 07846 666 804 & Melanie Gingell: 07572 430903
Patrons: John Austin, Baroness Blower of Starch Green, former GS NUT, Prof Bill Bowring, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Maggie Cook, UNISON women activist; Prof Mary Davis, Lord Dholakia, Simon Dubbins, UNITE International Director, Jill Evans, former MEP, Desmond Fernandes, Lindsey German, Convenor STWC, Melanie Gingell, Christopher Gingell, Prof Dr. Michael Gunter, Secretary-General, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC), Rahila Gupta, journalist, Nick Hildyard, policy advisor, Dafydd Iwan, Former President Plaid Cymru, James Kelman, Bruce Kent, Jean Lambert, former MEP, Dr Les Levidow, Open University, Elfyn Llwyd, John McDonnell MP; Aonghas MacNeacail, Scottish Gaelic poet, Mike Mansfield QC, David Morgan, journalist, Doug Nicholls, General Secretary, GFTU, Dr. Jessica Ayesha Northey, Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, Dr Thomas Jeffrey Miley, Kate Osamor MP, Margaret Owen OBE, Ali Gul Ozbek, Former Councillor and Mayor of Haringey; Gareth Peirce, Dr Felix Padel, Maxine Peake, actor, Dr Thomas Phillips, Liverpool John Moores University, Trevor Rayne, writer, Joe Ryan, Bert Schouwenburg, International Trade Union Adviser; Tony Simpson, Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, Stephen Smellie, PIK Trade Union Liaison Officer, Jonathan Steele, journalist, Steve Sweeney, journalist, Gianni Tognoni, General Secretary Permanent People’s Tribunal, Dr Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Dr Federico Venturini, Associate Researcher, University of Udine, Italy; Dr Tom Wakeford, Dr Derek Wall, Julie Ward, former MEP, Kariane Westrheim, Chair, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC); Hywel Williams MP.