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
- Police kill two children in Iran’s western Khorramabad
- Heavy debt lies on the shoulders of dead kolbar family
- The miscarriage of a female Kurdish political prisoner in Ilam prison
- 62 politicians, writers and artists from Iran and Kurdistan demand freedom for Öcalan
- Hengaw’s report on the arrest of 4 Peshmerga of Komala Party in Urmia
- Execution of two female prisoners in Sanandaj and Urmia prisons
- Amnesty International: Iran has executed 251 people during past 6 months
- At least six dead in floods near Tehran
- Khamenei supports stricter hijab enforcement in Iran
- Fate of PJAK member remains unknown a year after disappearance
- The hearing of the charges against 36 Kurdish activists was held simultaneously in Sanandaj Revolutionary Court
- Iranian women under pressure as Raisi stiffens hijab mandate
- A member of the Revolutionary Guards was killed in Sarvabad
- Iran condemns Zakho shelling, offers assistance
- Armed conflict at the border of Baneh and the killing of two border regimental cadres of the Islamic Republic of Iran
- Iran threatens Sweden as ex-official sentenced to life
- Rojhelat entertainers celebrate return to local theater after a three year hiatus
- The mother of three girls was killed by her husband for not giving birth to a boy
- Tehran arrests lead trafficker of Iranian women to Erbil
- Iranian women continue #No2Hijab campaign
- Holding a hearing on the accusations of 9 teachers in Sanandaj
- The arrest of at least 7 Kurdish citizens by security forces in Oshnavyeh
- Body of historical Iranian Kurdish leader’s son to be buried in Mahabad
- Belgian law-makers must say no to prisoner swap deal with Iran that condones hostage-taking and could result in the release of a terrorist
- UAE, Iran to cooperate to fight dust storms
- Iran arrests three filmmakers over protests
- Azeri dance teacher Jilla Ibrahimi taken into custody in Iran
- Ali Qazi Muhammad passes away
- Iraq reinforces units on borders with Turkey and Iran
- Report on the unclear legal status of Naske Esmaili, a Kurdish political prisoner in Sardasht
- Lack of Erbil-Tehran dialogue reason for problems: Iranian pundit
- Former US energy official says Kurdish gas could ‘replace Russian, Iranian gas’
- Kurdish political prisoner Shaker Behrouz at imminent risk of execution
- IRGC chief warns of spy war as new intel head takes over in Iran
- Report on the arrest of Setareh Zadhesht, a citizen from Marivan
- Iranian and Afghan women release message of solidarity with the Kurds
- Kurdpa’s application for membership in Impact Iran was accepted
- Kurdish political prisoner released after 22 years in prison
- So’da Khadirzadeh was returned to prison with her baby after a cesarean section without recovery
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
- Nouri Conviction by Swedish Court a Triumph for Iran’s “Seeking-Justice” Movement
- Narges Mohammadi’s letter to Javid Rahman: The human rights situation in Iran is dire
- 400+ Iranian Human Rights Leaders Urge Belgium to Drop Prisoner Swap Treaty with Iran
- Iran’s threat to Kurdistan is a greater challenge to the oil market than OPEC quotas
REPORTS
1. 37 Kolbars were killed and wounded in July 2022
- July 2022: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
- Several human rights violations
- Over the past 11 years, 68 Kolbars have died in snow and cold on the borders of Kurdistan
———————
NEWS
- Police kill two children in Iran’s western Khorramabad
03 August 2022 | KHRN
Iranian police opened fire on a civilian vehicle near Khorramabad in Lorestan province, on 31 July, killing two children identified as Mehdi Rashedimanesh and Matin Rashedimanesh.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/police-kill-two-children-in-irans-western-khorramabad/
2. Heavy debt lies on the shoulders of dead kolbar family
02 August 2022 | Rudaw
As he pours his customers another cup of tea, Khalid Haqmuradi takes a look at his late son’s picture, and ponders upon the heavy debt placed on his shoulders following the kolbar’s passing. A debt that he cannot repay even if he were to sell his most valuable property, his house.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/020820221
- The miscarriage of a female Kurdish political prisoner in Ilam prison
01 August 2022 | Hengaw
According to the report received by Hengaw Human Rights Organization, Maryam Haqgou, who was arrested along with her husband Pourya Javadi on charges of political activity, was two months pregnant when arrested.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/the-miscarriage-of-a-female-kurdish-political-prisoner-in-ilam-prison
- 62 politicians, writers and artists from Iran and Kurdistan demand freedom for Öcalan
01 August 2022 | ANF
…The letter said: “We, the peoples who want freedom, peace, democracy, equality and justice, say that it is time to demand serious and effective steps to ensure the freedom of Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Every person should demand freedom and justice for the Kurdish people and the peoples living in the region.”
5. Hengaw’s report on the arrest of 4 Peshmerga of Komala Party in Urmia
30 July 2022 | Hengaw
According to Hangaw’s report, in recent days, four Peshmerga of Kurdistan Komala Party of Iran called Mohsen Maroufi from Mahabad, Pejman Fatehi from Kamiaran, Hajir Faramarezi from Dehgolan, and Vafa Azarbar from Bukan, have been arrested by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Soma region of Urmia.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/hengaws-report-on-the-arrest-of-4-peshmerga-of-komala-party-in-urmia
- Execution of two female prisoners in Sanandaj and Urmia prisons
29 July 2022 | Hengaw
The death sentences of two women called Soheila Abedi from Bijar and Faranak Beheshti from Tekab who both were previously sentenced to death for premeditated murder were executed on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in Sanandaj and Urmia prisons.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/execution-of-two-female-prisoners-in-sanandaj-and-urmia-prisons-1
- Amnesty International: Iran has executed 251 people during past 6 months
28 July 2022 | Hawar News
Amnesty International has announced that Iran has executed at least 251 people since the beginning of this year until the end of June.
- At least six dead in floods near Tehran
28 July 2022 | Hengaw
At least six people were killed in floods near Tehran Thursday, most in a landslide that dumped mud four metres deep in a village west of the capital, emergency services said.
The flash flooding near the capital, in the foothills of the Alborz mountains, comes less than a week after floods in the normally arid south of Iran left 22 people dead.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/28072022
- Khamenei supports stricter hijab enforcement in Iran
27 July 2022 | Al-Monitor
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed support for the country’s enforcement of strict hijab laws. Speaking about the issues of women and hijab in televised remarks today, Khamenei said, “These issues were present at the beginning of the Islamic Revolution as well, and lately, with using hijab as an excuse, the failed attempt is being repeated.”
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/07/khamenei-supports-stricter-hijab-enforcement-iran
- Fate of PJAK member remains unknown a year after disappearance
26 July 2022 | Rudaw
A human rights group on Monday expressed mounting concerns over the whereabouts of a member of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) who disappeared after clashing with the Iranian security forces in mid-2021 with his mother pleading for answers on his condition.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/26072022
- The hearing of the charges against 36 Kurdish activists was held simultaneously in Sanandaj Revolutionary Court
26 July 2022 | Hengaw
The hearing on the charges of at least 36 political and civil activists from the cities of Baneh, Saqqez, Marivan, and Sanandaj, who were arrested last fall during the widespread arrest of Kurdish citizens by the Intelligence forces, was held on Sunday, July 24, 2022, in branch 1 of Sanandaj Revolution Court headed by Judge Saeedi.
- Iranian women under pressure as Raisi stiffens hijab mandate
23 July 2022 | Al-Monitor
As the administration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi faces discontent over increasingly difficult economic conditions, the government is ratcheting up agitprop around compulsory hijab, the Islamic dress code, in what many Iranians say is a bid to divert public attention from the nation’s day-to-day hardships.
- A member of the Revolutionary Guards was killed in Sarvabad
23 July 2022 | Hengaw
A member of the Revolutionary Guards identified as Ghahreman Shahidi, 60, was killed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, by unknown armed men in the “Soura Tou” village of Sarvabad.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/a-member-of-the-revolutionary-guards-was-killed-in-sarvabad
- Iran condemns Zakho shelling, offers assistance
21 July 2022 | K24
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani on Thursday condemned Turkey’s shelling of the Kurdistan Region’s Zakho, which killed nine civilians, without blaming any side for the attack. Kanaani expressed his “sympathy with the families of the victims as well as the Iraqi government and nation”.
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/29014-Iran-condemns-Zakho-shelling,-offers-assistance%C2%A0
- Armed conflict at the border of Baneh and the killing of two border regimental cadres of the Islamic Republic of Iran
21 July 2022 | Hengaw
An armed conflict took place between the border regimental forces of Bane city on the Barvishkani border of this city and the forces of one of the opposition Kurdish parties of the government at 3:30 am on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, which resulted in the death of two border regimental cadres and another person was injured too.
- Iran threatens Sweden as ex-official sentenced to life
21 July 2022 | Al-Monitor
A senior Iranian official said the Islamic Republic “will not sit idly by” in the face of a Swedish court’s verdict last week against a former Iranian judiciary staff member accused of involvement in 1988 prison executions.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/07/iran-threatens-sweden-ex-official-sentenced-life
- Rojhelat entertainers celebrate return to local theater after a three year hiatus
19 July 2022 | Rudaw
The city of Divandarreh hosted its fifth comedy theater festival in western Iran (Rojhelat) this week, for the first time after a three year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, with eight theatrical productions from across Rojhelat being presented to the audience.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/19072022
- The mother of three girls was killed by her husband for not giving birth to a boy
18 July 2022 | Hengaw
A young woman identified as Goljamin Najafi, 46, from the Gahwareh district of Dalahu city in Kermanshah province was brutally murdered by her husband because of not giving birth to boys.
- Tehran arrests lead trafficker of Iranian women to Erbil
18 July 2022 | Rudaw
Iran arrested the head of a network smuggling Iranian women for prostitution to the Kurdish capital of Erbil, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arrested a woman leading the “biggest” trafficking gang which has smuggled “more than a thousand” Iranian girls to Erbil
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/18072022
- Iranian women continue #No2Hijab campaign
16 July 2022 | ANF
Iranian women have been fighting for the right to dress as they wish since the establishment of the Islamic republic. One of the slogans adopted by women against the compulsory hijab is “No to Hijab”. As personal freedoms are suppressed in Iran, human rights activists who had launched a campaign against the compulsory hijab were also threatened the day after the campaign.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/women/iranian-women-continue-no2hijab-campaign-61238
- Holding a hearing on the accusations of 9 teachers in Sanandaj
15 July 2022 | Hengaw
The meeting to deal with the accusations of 9 members of Sanandaj Teachers’ Trade Union and Trade Union Activists was held on Wednesday and Thursday, July 13 and 14, 2022, in the interrogatory branch 2 of the Sanandaj General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/holding-a-hearing-on-the-accusations-of-9-teachers-in-sanandaj
- The arrest of at least 7 Kurdish citizens by security forces in Oshnavyeh
15 July 2022 | Hengaw
At least seven citizens from the villages of Singan and Bimazarati of Oshnavyeh (Shno)…on the morning of Wednesday, July 13, 2022, were arrested by the intelligence forces of this city…Hengaw sources have reported that the arrest of these people took place last night, on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Abdulrahman Ghasemlou…
https://hengaw.net/en/news/the-arrest-of-at-least-7-kurdish-citizens-by-security-forces-in-oshnavyeh
- Body of historical Iranian Kurdish leader’s son to be buried in Mahabad
14 July 2022 | K24
Iran has agreed to allow the body of Ali Qazi, the only son of the historical Kurdish leader Qazi Mohammad of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, to be buried in Mahabad, Erbil Governor Omid Khoshnaw told Kurdistan 24 on Thursday.
Ali Qazi’s body will arrive on Monday at 9 am and will be sent to Mahabad in a ceremony, the governor said.
- Belgian law-makers must say no to prisoner swap deal with Iran that condones hostage-taking and could result in the release of a terrorist
12 July 2022 | Kurdpa
The announcement on 29 June 2022 that Belgian lawmakers would examine a “Transfer of Sentenced Persons” bilateral treaty with the Islamic Republic of Iran sparked serious concerns that the Belgian Government is considering enabling the Islamic Republic of Iran’s hostage-taking policy and undermining accountability for Iranian officials convicted for acts of terrorism abroad https://kurdpa.net/en/news/belgian-law-makers-must-say-no-to-prisoner-swap-deal-with-iran-that-condones-hostage-taking-and-could-result-in-the-release-of-a-terrorist
- UAE, Iran to cooperate to fight dust storms
11 July 2022 | Al-Monitor
The United Arab Emirates and Iran are planning to work together to fight worsening dust storms in the region. The environment ministries in both countries will sign a memorandum of understanding tomorrow to exchange expertise on combating dust and sand storms.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/07/uae-iran-cooperate-fight-dust-storms
- Iran arrests three filmmakers over protests
11 July 2022 | Al-Monitor
A dissident Iranian filmmaker was arrested after he attempted to inquire about two other imprisoned Iranian filmmakers. Jafar Panahi visited a court in Tehran to inquire about the case of Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad, Iranian filmmakers who were recently arrested over protests.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/07/iran-arrests-three-filmmakers-over-protests
- Azeri dance teacher Jilla Ibrahimi taken into custody in Iran
11 July 2022 | ANF
Dance teacher Jilla Ibrahimi has been taken into custody in Iran on charges of “spreading propaganda on social networks”.
- Ali Qazi Muhammad passes away
10 July 2022 | Rudaw
Ali Qazi Muhammad, the son of the great Kurdish leader Qazi Muhammad, passed away early Sunday in Germany after a battle with illness.
Ali was the only son of Qazi, a Kurdish leader who declared autonomy for the short-lived Kurdish state of the Republic of Mahabad in present-day Iran on January 22, 1946.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/people-places/10072022
- Iraq reinforces units on borders with Turkey and Iran
07 July 2022 | K24
The Iraqi Ministry of Interior’s border forces added additional military points to the Kurdistan Region’s borders with Iran and Turkey to impose stricter measures against smuggling.
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/28891-Iraq-reinforces-units-on-borders-with-Turkey-and-Iran
- Report on the unclear legal status of Naske Esmaili, a Kurdish political prisoner in Sardasht
07 July 2022 | Hengaw
According to Hengaw, Naske Esmaili was arrested by IRGC forces in early January 2022 after surrendering to the security forces on the Sardasht border, and since then, she has been kept in prison without having the minimum of a fair trial…Naske Ismaili’s husband took her to Syria and joined ISIS 6 years ago under the pretext of going to Europe.
- Lack of Erbil-Tehran dialogue reason for problems: Iranian pundit
05 July 2022 | Rudaw
The lack of dialogue between Erbil and Tehran is a major factor for existing issues between the two, an Iranian media pundit and reformist told Rudaw, adding that Tehran does not look upon the Kurdistan Region favorably.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/interview/050720221
- Former US energy official says Kurdish gas could ‘replace Russian, Iranian gas’
03 July 2022 | Rudaw
The Kurdistan Region’s gas could “replace Russian and Iranian gas” as the Region has significant reserves, a former energy official at the United States Energy Department told Rudaw on Thursday.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/interview/03072022
- Kurdish political prisoner Shaker Behrouz at imminent risk of execution
30 June 2022 | KHRN
A Kurdish political prisoner named Shaker Behrouz, who is sentenced to death, was transferred to an undisclosed location on the morning of 29 June from a ward for prisoners of conscience in Orumiyeh prison. In a phone call before his transfer, Behrouz had spoken about the risk of his execution.
34. IRGC chief warns of spy war as new intel head takes over in Iran
30 June 2022 | Al-Monitor
According to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, hostile foreign spy agencies are waging a war of intelligence against the Islamic Republic.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/06/irgc-chief-warns-spy-war-new-intel-head-takes-over-iran
- Report on the arrest of Setareh Zadhesht, a citizen from Marivan
29 June 2022 | Hengaw
A girl from Marivan identified as Setareh Zadhesht, 25, was transferred to Sanandaj Correctional Center about three weeks ago after completing the interrogation process. According to the report received by Hengaw Human Rights Organization, Setareh Zadhesht from the “Iessouli” village in Marivan, had previously been a member of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) for seven years. She had surrendered to Marivan Revolutionary Guards forces last month.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/report-on-the-arrest-of-setareh-zadhesht-a-citizen-from-marivan
- Iranian and Afghan women release message of solidarity with the Kurds
27 June 2022 | ANF
The Women’s Transnational Democratic Platform, mainly consisting of Afghan and Iranian women, denounced the Turkish invasion attacks in Kurdistan and the crackdown on the Kurds in a written statement with video footage.
- Kurdpa’s application for membership in Impact Iran was accepted
26 June 2022 | Kurdpa
Following the application of Kurdpa Human Rights Organization to join the Impact Coalition of Iran, on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Kurdpa was accepted as a member of this coalition.
The Impact Iran Coalition is designed to enhance the efforts of Iranian civil society to engage with the wider UN human rights system, along with various intergovernmental processes aimed at strengthening human rights protection in Iran.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/kurdpas-application-for-membership-in-impact-iran-was-accepted
- Kurdish political prisoner released after 22 years in prison
26 June 2022 | KHRN
Today, Iran released a Kurdish political prisoner named Khaled Fereydouni under judiciary amnesty. The political prisoner was released from Orumiyeh Central Prison after serving 22 years. He spent his imprisonment in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province; Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj, Alborz province; and Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan province.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/kurdish-political-prisoner-released-after-22-years-in-prison/
- So’da Khadirzadeh was returned to prison with her baby after a cesarean section without recovery
24 June 2022 | Hengaw
So’da Khadirzadeh, a Kurdish political prisoner from Piranshahr, was transferred to the hospital on Monday, June 20, 2022, after eight months in prison at Urmia Central Prison; she was transferred to the hospital just a few hours before the cesarean section and returned to the women’s ward of Urmia Central Prison in the evening without completing her treatment. She is held in a very poor condition.
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
- Nouri Conviction by Swedish Court a Triumph for Iran’s “Seeking-Justice” Movement
14 July 2022 | CHRI
After 92 sessions of a trial that lasted almost a year, a court in Stockholm, Sweden convicted Iranian judicial official Hamid Nouroi of a “serious crime against international law” and “murder” for his complicity in mass executions of thousands of political prisoners in Iran in summer of 1988. “This trial and conviction are historic because for the first time in 43 years, since the inception of the Islamic Republic, an Iranian official has been held accountable for mass atrocities”…
- Narges Mohammadi’s letter to Javid Rahman: The human rights situation in Iran is dire
09 July 2022 | ANF
Iranian rights defender Narges Mohammadi penned an open letter addressed to United Nations Special Rapporteur Javid Rahman and described the human rights situation in Iran as “dire”. This imprisoned civil activist wrote that a number of cultural and teachers ‘rights activists are pressured by security clauses, and at the same time a number of labor activists are also imprisoned in solitary confinement.
- 400+ Iranian Human Rights Leaders Urge Belgium to Drop Prisoner Swap Treaty with Iran
05 July 2022 | CHRI
More than 400 leading Iranian human rights activists, dissidents and family members of victims of Iranian state repression and violence have called on the Belgian parliament not to ratify a proposed prisoner swap treaty with Iran.
- Iran’s threat to Kurdistan is a greater challenge to the oil market than OPEC quotas
24 June 2022 | K24
Global attention on the oil market and prices at the pump have focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, OPEC+ production increases, and how companies can increase oil production and refinement. However, twin challenges in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq could have a more profound market impact than any OPEC+ quota increase. These threats are politically avoidable and largely unrecognized.
REPORTS
1. 37 Kolbars were killed and wounded in July 2022
04 August 2022 | Hengaw
At least 37 Kurdish Kolbars and tradesmen were killed and wounded on the borders of Kurdistan in July. These statistics have increased by 16 case (76%) compared to the previous month. Last month, 21 Kolbars and tradesmen had been killed and injured.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/37-kolbars-were-killed-and-wounded-in-july-2022
- July 2022: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
02 August 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 July 2022.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/july-2022-human-rights-violations-in-iranian-kurdistan/
- Several human rights violations
01 July 2022 | Kurdpa
Between 25 June and 01 July 2022 at least 12 human rights violations have been reported from Kurdistan.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news?Category=Human%20Rights
- Over the past 11 years, 68 Kolbars have died in snow and cold on the borders of Kurdistan
26 June 2022 | Kurdpa
The direct firing of security forces is the leading cause of Kolbars’s death. But the choice of dangerous roads to cross the border and get caught in the snow and cold is another factor that has killed many Kolbars.
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.