For more of the latest Kurdish news, see these sources:
ANF English https://anfenglishmobile.com/
Esta https://esta.krd/en
HANA https://hana-hr.org/
Hawar News https://hawarnews.com/en/
Hengaw https://hengaw.net/en
Iran Human Rights https://iranhr.net/en/
KHRN http://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en
KMMK https://kmmk-ge.org/
Kurdistan Press Agency https://kurdpa.net/en
Kurdistan24 https://www.kurdistan24.net/en
Rudaw https://www.rudaw.net/english
NEWS
- Thousands celebrate Newroz in Gilan-e Gharb despite obstacles, threats
- Iranian government started its crackdown on Newroz coordinators
- Iran’s ambitions threaten stability in the Middle East, warns expert
- Iranian Journalist Receives Six-Year Prison Sentence
- Sedigheh Vasmaghi Indicted for Alleged Propaganda against Iran’s Regime and Public Appearance without Hijab
- UN Mission: Gina Amini’s death was the result of physical violence during her detention
- Komala member assassinated in Iraqi Kurdistan
- Newlywed kolbar freezes to death on Kurdistan-Iran border
- Kurdish teacher expelled under security scrutiny in Sanandaj
- Young woman allegedly killed by ex-husband in Urmia
- Newroz celebrations begin in Rojhilat
- Kurdish artist Sasan Chamanara sentenced without trial in Ilam
- Iran condemns UN report on violations during 2022 protests
- Two young women arrested in Iran over a dance video
- Ilam; was summoned and taking a compulsory commitment from Mohammad Abbaszadeh, a Kurdish artist, due to his protest against the support of some singers for the elections
- Iran waging ‘draconian campaign’ against women through hijab law: Amnesty
- Abdanan; summoning and taking a compulsory commitment from Sonia Sharifi to prevent her from activity on social media
- Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour sentenced to prison for his song ‘Baraye’
- Elections in Iran: 41 percent turnout
- Zeinab Jalalian calls on people of Iran not to go to elections
- Zeynab Jalalian enters 17th year of unlawful imprisonment
- Education in the mother tongue is a fundamental right for all human beings!
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
- Joint Letter: Extend the mandates of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran
- U.S., Iran Held Secret Talks over Militia Attacks, Gaza War
- U.S. Sanctions Iran-backed Al-Ashtar Brigades in Bahrain
- HRA welcomes FFMI findings of Gender Persecution in Iran
- The State of Women’s Rights in Iran: Institutional and Individual Violations
- Seven Saqqez detainees received prison sentences, fines, and additional penalties
- Mahsa Amini’s uncle sentenced to five years in jail
REPORTS
- February/March 2024: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
- 2023 various reports on human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
- In 1402 solar year, 439 Kolbers were killed and wounded
- HRA Unveils Groundbreaking Report on Iran’s Use of Child Soldiers in Armed Conflicts
- Hengaw’s Statistical Report on the arrest of 2,353 citizens in 2023 throughout Iran and other reports
- Live updates: Iran 2023
- International Women’s Day; Comprehensive List of Female Political Prisoners in Iran
- Over 800 executed in Iran in 2023: Watchdogs
- Monthly Report of February 2024: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
- ‘The streets smell like death:’ Iran’s suicide epidemic
———————
NEWS
- Thousands celebrate Newroz in Gilan-e Gharb despite obstacles, threats
21 March 2024 | KHRN
Thousands of people attended today’s Newroz (also known as Nowruz in Persian) celebrations in Gilan-e Gharb, Kermanshah Province, despite challenges and threats by security forces to prevent the event.
- Iranian government started its crackdown on Newroz coordinators
21 March 2024 | Hengaw
Lutfollah Parwiz, a civil activist from Gilan-e Gharb(Gelan) county and one of the ceremonial Newroz coordinators in this city, has been detained by security forces, and several other activists have also been summoned and threatened.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2024/03/article-30
- Iran’s ambitions threaten stability in the Middle East, warns expert
21 March 2024 | K24
In an interview with Kurdistan24, renowned university professor and political expert Mohammad Ihsan shed light on Iran’s escalating interference in the internal affairs of Iraq, posing a significant threat to regional stability.
- Iranian Journalist Receives Six-Year Prison Sentence
19 March 2024 | Hengaw
An Iranian journalist, identified as Ali Moslehi, from Kashan city in Isfahan province, has been sentenced to six years and two months of imprisonment. According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Ali Moslehi was recently convicted by the revolutionary and criminal courts of Kashan, receiving a combined sentence of six years and two months.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2024/03/article-26
- Sedigheh Vasmaghi Indicted for Alleged Propaganda against Iran’s Regime and Public Appearance without Hijab
19 March 2024 | HRANA
An Instagram page linked to Vasmaghi confirmed her indictment on March 18, citing charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “public appearance without hijab.” The indictment highlights Vasmaghi’s social media criticism as evidence.
- UN Mission: Gina Amini’s death was the result of physical violence during her detention
18 March 2024 | ANHA
“The death of Gina Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police was unlawful and occurred as a result of violence, and women in the country continue to face widespread discrimination,” a UN-mandated fact-finding mission said today.
- Komala member assassinated in Iraqi Kurdistan
18 March 2024 | KHRN
Shoaib Zarei, a member of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, was assassinated on 16 March near the party’s camp in the village of Zirgwez in Sulaymaniyah, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/2024/03/18/komala-member-assassinated-in-iraqi-kurdistan/
- Newlywed kolbar freezes to death on Kurdistan-Iran border
17 March 2024 | Rudaw
Farid Robina worked as a kolbar for the past three years, carrying goods on his back across the Iran-Kurdistan Region border in the hope of saving up enough money to marry the woman he loved. But just 20 days after tying the knot, he bid his beloved an eternal farewell when the cruel hand of fate struck and he lost his life in the bitter cold.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/17032024
- Kurdish teacher expelled under security scrutiny in Sanandaj
12 March 2024 | KHRN
Mohammad Moradi Nesari, a writer and a PhD candidate in literature at the University of Kurdistan in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, has been expelled from his teaching post in Sanandaj under pressure from the intelligence services and the Ministry of Education’s selection committee.
- Young woman allegedly killed by ex-husband in Urmia
12 March 2024 | Rudaw
A 27-year-old woman was killed in northwest Iran’s Urmia on Sunday, allegedly by her ex-husband whom she had divorced only 10 days prior. According to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Ziba Sayadi, was shot dead by Jalal Sayadi, her ex-husband…
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/12032024
- Newroz celebrations begin in Rojhilat
12 March 2024 | ANF
Celebrations have been taking place in many centers of Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan, Iran) for the last week to welcome Newroz, the Kurdish New Year and resistance festival on 21 March.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/-72203
- Kurdish artist Sasan Chamanara sentenced without trial in Ilam
11 March 2024 | KHRN
Sasan Chamanara, a Kurdish artist and civil rights activist from Ilam, has been sentenced to three months in prison and fined 200 million rials (around 350 USD) by Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Ilam on charges of “propaganda against the state in favour of opposition groups and media”.
- Iran condemns UN report on violations during 2022 protests
09 March 2024 | Rudaw
Tehran on Saturday strongly condemned a report from a United Nations fact-finding mission that accused Iranian authorities of committing “crimes against humanity” during the 2022 nationwide protests, calling the report part of the West’s “Iranophobia”.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/09032024
- Two young women arrested in Iran over a dance video
09 March 2024 | ANF
Two young women have been arrested in Iran over a dance video, according to local media. The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Saturday that the Tehran public prosecutor’s office had ordered the arrests for an alleged violation of “social rules”.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/women/-72157
- Ilam; was summoned and taking a compulsory commitment from Mohammad Abbaszadeh, a Kurdish artist, due to his protest against the support of some singers for the elections
08 March 2024 | Kurdpa
On February 26, 2024, Mohammad Abbaszadeh, a well-known artist from Ilam, was summoned by the Ilam Places Administration and released after being threatened and taking a compulsory commitment due to his protest against the singing of some of the government singers in support of the elections.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/2024/03/2
- Iran waging ‘draconian campaign’ against women through hijab law: Amnesty
06 March 2024 | Rudaw
Iranian authorities are subjecting women to “draconian” punishments through surveillance and mass car confiscations to impose compulsory hijab laws, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/06032024
- Abdanan; summoning and taking a compulsory commitment from Sonia Sharifi to prevent her from activity on social media
03 March 2024 | Kurdpa
On February 26, 2024, Sonia Sharifi, one of the detainees of the revolutionary uprising of Jin, Jiyan, Azadi in Abdanan, was summoned to the court of this city and forced to commit to refrain from activity on social media.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/2024/03/4
- Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour sentenced to prison for his song ‘Baraye’
02 March 2024 | ANF
Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. The 26-year-old singer announced on his Instagram page on Friday that he had also been banned from leaving the country for two years.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/-72046
- Elections in Iran: 41 percent turnout
02 March 2024 | ANF
According to unofficial results, the turnout in Iran’s 12th parliamentary and 6th Assembly of Experts elections was around 41 percent. The elections for 290 members of parliament and 88 members to be elected to the Parliament of Experts have ended in Iran, where there are approximately 61 million voters.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/-72043
- Zeinab Jalalian calls on people of Iran not to go to elections
29 February 2024 | ANHA
Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian asked the people to boycott the elections, saying: “Because I demanded the rights of the people, I am detained in prison, so I ask you to stay in your homes and not go to the elections tomorrow in Iran.”
https://hawarnews.com/en/zeinab-jalalian-calls-on-people-of-iran-not-to-go-to-elections
- Zeynab Jalalian enters 17th year of unlawful imprisonment
27 February 2024 | KHRN
Iran’s longest-serving and only female political prisoner serving a life sentence in Yazd prison, marked her seventeenth year in prison yesterday. Throughout her imprisonment, Jalalian has been denied the right to furlough and has been illegally transferred several times to different prisons across the country.
- Education in the mother tongue is a fundamental right for all human beings!
21 February 2024 | HANA
According to alarming data, nearly half of the living languages in the world are at risk of extinction, resulting in the irreparable loss of knowledge, traditions, and unique perspectives.
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
- Joint Letter: Extend the mandates of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran
18 March 2024 | Kurdpa
We, the undersigned Iranian and international human rights organisations, call on your country to support the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the extension of the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI) at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/2024/03/17
- U.S., Iran Held Secret Talks over Militia Attacks, Gaza War
16 March 2024 | K24
The New York Times carried a stunning, but authoritative, report on Friday, detailing discussions between the U.S. and Iran. In essence, it appears that Iran sought to trade a halt in the attacks being carried out by one of its proxy groups—the Yemen-based Houthis’…
- U.S. Sanctions Iran-backed Al-Ashtar Brigades in Bahrain
14 March 2024 | K24
The U.S. State and Treasury Departments announced on Monday that they were sanctioning four Bahrainis involved with an Iran-backed proxy group: the Al-Ashtar Brigades.
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/34275-U.S.-Sanctions-Iran-backed-Al-Ashtar-Brigades-in-Bahrain
- HRA welcomes FFMI findings of Gender Persecution in Iran
08 March 2024 | HRANA
HRA hailed the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran (FFMI) for its report highlighting severe human rights abuses and crimes against humanity, including gender persecution, during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests.
- The State of Women’s Rights in Iran: Institutional and Individual Violations
06 March 2024 | HRANA
The state of women’s rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran is a critical concern, marked by systemic and pervasive violations deeply rooted in both the legal and societal frameworks.
- Seven Saqqez detainees received prison sentences, fines, and additional penalties
16 February 2024 | Kurdpa
Seven detainees in Saqqez were sentenced by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Saqqez…According to paragraph C of Article 12 of the Law on Reduction of Correctional Imprisonment, Safa Aili was found guilty of three charges: “propaganda activity against the Islamic Republic of Iran system by publishing materials and images in cyberspace”
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/2024/02/33
- Mahsa Amini’s uncle sentenced to five years in jail
14 February 2024 | ANHA
Iran’s longest-serving and only
“Safa Aeli, 30, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison by the revolutionary court in the family’s home town of Saqez in north-western Iran, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said.
https://hawarnews.com/en/mahsa-aminis-uncle-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail
REPORTS
- February/March 2024: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
23 March 2024 | Kurdpa
More than 55 cases of human rights violations occurred in Rojhelat during the last 6 weeks.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news?Category=Human%20Rights
- 2023 various reports on human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
23 March 2024 | KMMK
According to the data collected by KMMK-G, from January 1 to 31st December 2023, at least eight hundred thirty-nine (839) prisoners including 24 women were executed in Iran…
- In 1402 solar year, 439 Kolbers were killed and wounded
22 March 2024 | Hana
At the end of the Iranian calendar year, Hana human rights organization statistics center will present the data and statistics recorded in this organization’s statistics center related to human rights incidents and events in the provinces of Kermanshah, Ilam, Kurdistan and West Azarbaijan (Urmia).
https://hana-hr.org/content/20240324-in-1402-solar-year-439-kolbers-were-killed-and-wounded
- HRA Unveils Groundbreaking Report on Iran’s Use of Child Soldiers in Armed Conflicts
12 March 2024 | HRANA
In a groundbreaking publication today, Human Rights Activists (HRA) has released an extensive report detailing Iran’s longstanding practice of recruiting the economically disadvantaged segments of society, including asylum seekers, immigrants, and using child soldiers in armed conflicts.
- Hengaw’s Statistical Report on the arrest of 2,353 citizens in 2023 throughout Iran and other reports
12 March 2024 | Hengaw
Based on the statistics registered in the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, in 2023, the arrest of 2,353 citizens whose full identities have been confirmed was recorded.
https://hengaw.net/en/reports-and-statistics
- Live updates: Iran 2023
09-23 March 2024 | KHRN
Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran
- International Women’s Day; Comprehensive List of Female Political Prisoners in Iran
06 March 2024 | HRANA
International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8th, is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements in various social, economic, cultural, and political arenas and to emphasize the importance of fighting for women’s rights and their irreplaceable role in society.
International Women’s Day; Comprehensive List of Female Political Prisoners in Iran
- Over 800 executed in Iran in 2023: Watchdogs
05 March 2024 | Rudaw
At least 834 people were executed across Iran in 2023, marking the country’s highest rate in eight years, according to a human rights watchdogs’ report on Tuesday.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/05032024
- Monthly Report of February 2024: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
01 March 2024 | KHRN
In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of Kurdish civilians in different regions and cities across Iran.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/2024/03/01/monthly-report-of-february-2024/
- ‘The streets smell like death:’ Iran’s suicide epidemic
14 February 2024 | Rudaw
A suicide epidemic has swept across the provinces of Iran in recent months, with around 120,000 suicide attempts reported in 2023, prompting a call for action from mental health specialists and civil society actors.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/140220241