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.Ebrahim Tarimoradi, a political activist from Sanandaj, was arrested to serve his imprisonment sentence
2.The number of detainees in Malekshahi increased after the protests of citizens against high prices
3. Iran vows harsh crackdown on economic protests against high prices
4.Imposing a sentence of fourteen years in prison for 7 of the civil activists and members of the Jiyanave Kurdistan charity campaign
5. Swedish-Iranian academic at risk of execution “held hostage” : Amnesty
6. Violent Crackdown of Protests in Iran: International Community Must Act
7. Iranian forces arrest 7 South Kurdish people
8. Married as minor: Young woman commits suicide
9. Kurdish-Arab Dialogue Meeting held in Brussels
10. Iran says it will execute Iranian-Swedish scientist
11. Iran Protesters at Risk of Lethal State Violence
12. Kurdish Sorani dialect added to Google Translate
13. Iranian artillery shells Kurdistan Region’s Bradost area
14. Kurdistan: Ecocide and Forced Demographic Change
15. Farhad Mirzaei, a union activist in the teachers’ movement, was arrested
16. Iran ‘not satisfied’ with Turkish dams on its borders
17. ‘Iran diverted river courses, stopping them flowing into Iraq’: Minister
18. PJAK remembers 9 May martyrs
19. The Mother Tongue: The struggle for Kurdish education in Rojhelat
20. International Workers’ Day: Several Kurdish labour activists, teachers detained
21.Kurdish refugee’s “toothbrush” self portrait nominated for Australia’s top prize
22.Iranian minister threatens Afghan refugees over census
23. NGOs expose increase in number of women executed in Iran
24. Iran arrests protesters angry at giant waste landfill
25. Iran: IRGC intelligence detains activists ahead of Labour Day
26. Zeinab Jalalian is still deprived of the right to visit her family in the 15th year of
27. Activists condemn Turkish attacks on Kurdistan Region of Iraq
28. 34 Kolbars were killed and wounded in less than two weeks at the Nosud border
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Kurdistan officials concerned about PKK, Iran and energy sector
2. Is a water crisis brewing between Turkey and Iran
3. Activists Urge UN Rep to Meet Them During Trip to Iran
4. US intel details Iranian aggression in the Middle East
5. Iranian Troops Replace Russian Ones in Syria
6. Iran attempts to avoid accountability through UN visit
7. Zeinab Jalalian is still deprived of the right to visit her family in the 15th year of her imprisonment
8. Interview: Atena Daemi was Jailed in Iran for Advocating Women’s Rights. Now She’s Free and Refusing to be Silent
9. 34 Kolbars were killed and wounded in less than two weeks at the Nosud border
REPORTS
- Water, Environment and Justice: Iran
- Arrest of seven Kurdish activists in Baneh, Iran
- The arrest of 39 Kurdish citizens in April 2022
- 55 Kolbars were killed and wounded in April 2022
- April 2022: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
- Annual Report on the Death Penalty – 2021
- Several human rights violations
———————
NEWS
- Ebrahim Tarimoradi, a political activist from Sanandaj, was arrested to serve his imprisonment sentence
23 May 2022 | Hengaw
Ebrahim Tarimoradi, a political activist from Sanandaj, who was sentenced to prison by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran last winter, was arrested on Sunday, May 22, 2022, after being summoned to Branch 4 of the Sanandaj Judgment Enforcement. He was transferred to the city’s central prison to serve his six-month sentence.
- The number of detainees in Malekshahi increased after the protests of citizens against high prices
21 May 2022 | Hengaw
In the past few days, more than ten citizens from Malekshahi in Ilam province, have been arrested by the intelligence services and transferred to an unknown location, whose fate and whereabouts are unknown.
- Iran vows harsh crackdown on economic protests
20 May 2022 | Al-Monitor
Deputy commander of Iran’s police Brig. Gen. Qasem Rezaee issued a severe warning against Iranian protesters infuriated by a sharp steep in prices of basic food products.
“Police will act against those individuals with firmness,” Rezaee declared in an interview May 19, adding that his forces “will not tolerate” the rallies in which “public and private properties” have been targeted.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/05/iran-vows-harsh-crackdown-economic-protests
- Imposing a sentence of fourteen years in prison for 7 of the civil activists and
members of the “Jiyanave Kurdistan” charity campaign
20 May 2022 | Hengaw
Seven members of the “Jiyanave” charity campaign in Sanandaj, called Ali Allah Veisi, Fardin Rahimi, Ata Reza Robabi, Ghane Khateri, Marzieh Morad Veisi, Sirvan Abdollahi (Marzieh’s son), and Mehdi Seifi, each were sentenced to 2 years in prison by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj headed by Judge Saeedi.
- Swedish-Iranian academic at risk of execution ‘held hostage’: Amnesty
19 May 2022 | Rudaw
A Swedish-Iranian academic at risk of imminent execution in Iran is being “held hostage” by Iran to oblige Sweden and Belgium to hand over two former Iranian officials, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/190520221
- Violent Crackdown of Protests in Iran: International Community Must Act
16 May 2022 | IHR
The latest round of protests across Iran have been violently repressed by security forces. At least five people have been killed and unknown numbers injured and arrested. Security forces continue attacking citizens while Islamic Republic officials are preventing the human rights violations from being reported by cutting and disrupting internet access.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/5205/
- Iranian forces arrest 7 South Kurdish people
16 May 2022 | ANF
According to RojNews, seven people were detained by Iranian forces while they were collecting grass in the highland in the Dola Shex Ayşe region in Qandil. The fate of those detained is unknown.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/iranian-forces-arrest-7-south-kurish-people-59964
- Married as minor: Young woman commits suicide
16 May 2022 | Hengaw
Three weeks ago a young girl named Sita Sheikh Moradi, 17 years old, married and mother of one child, set herself on fire in Kermanshah due to family problems.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/married-as-minor-young-woman-commits-suicide
- Kurdish-Arab Dialogue Meeting held in Brussels
15 May 2022 | ANF
KNK hosted a Kurdish-Arab Dialogue Meeting to discuss the global crisis, its reflection on the region, the situation of the countries in the region, the policies of western states in the region, and the expansionist policies of Turkey and Iran.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/kurdish-arab-dialogue-meeting-held-in-brussels-59953
- Iran says it will execute Iranian-Swedish scientist
12 May 2022 | Al-Monitor
Iran’s judiciary said that it will move forward with the execution of Iranian-Swedish citizen Ahmad Reza Jalali. Judiciary spokesperson Zabiollah Khodaian said that Jalali was arrested and charged with spying for the Israeli Mossad and sharing intelligence about Iran’s nuclear scientists in 2016. He also faces national security charges.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/05/iran-says-it-will-execute-iranian-swedish-scientist
- Iran Protesters at Risk of Lethal State Violence
12 May 2022 | CHRI
Ongoing street protests in Iran could lead to more killings and arbitrary imprisonments by state security forces if the international community remains silent, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) warned in a statement today.
https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2022/05/iran-protesters-at-risk-of-lethal-state-violence/
- Kurdish Sorani dialect added to Google Translate
11 May 2022 | Rudaw
Google revealed on Wednesday that it had added the Sorani dialect of the Kurdish language to Google Translate. Isaac Caswell, a Senior Software Engineer at Google Translate, said in a blog on the website of the company on Wednesday that it had added 24 new languages to Google Translate.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/110520224
- Iranian artillery shells Kurdistan Region’s Bradost area
11 May 2022 | K24
Iranian artillery shelled Kurdistan Region’s Bradost border region early on Wednesday morning, but no human casualties have been reported. “This morning, around 8:20 am, Iranian artillery bombarded our area 10 to 12 times, but fortunately they didn’t cause any human casualties”…
- Kurdistan: Ecocide and Forced Demographic Change
11 May 2022 | ANF
The recording of session of the Peace in Kurdistan Social Ecology Network on “Kurdistan: Ecocide and Forced Demographic Change” is now available online. Two Peace in Kurdistan Campaign members, Sonia Karimi and a representative of The GreenTress Initiative, made presentations followed by a group discussion.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/kurdistan-ecocide-and-forced-demographic-change-59856
- Farhad Mirzaei, a union activist in the teachers’ movement, was arrested
11 May 2022 | Hengaw
Security forces and plainclothesmen surrounded the house of Farhad Mirzaei, a member of the Supreme Council of Iranian Cultural Activists and a member of the Kermanshah Teachers’ Union, Islamabad-e-Gharb branch, and transferred to an unknown place after his arrest.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/farhad-mirzaei-a-union-activist-in-the-teachers-movement-was-arrested
- Iran ‘not satisfied’ with Turkish dams on its borders
10 May 2022 | Rudaw
Iran’s foreign minister expressed on Tuesday his dissatisfaction with Turkey building dams on joint water resources along the border, adding that he had raised the issue with his Turkish counterparts at least three times in the past two months, voicing Tehran’s disapproval of the process.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/10052022
- ‘Iran diverted river courses, stopping them flowing into Iraq’: Minister
09 May 2022 | K24
Iran has diverted the courses of its rivers, diverting much-needed water from Iraq, the Iraqi Minister of Water Resource Mahdi Rashid Al-Hamdani told a press conference on Saturday.
- PJAK remembers 9 May martyrs
08 May 2022 | ANF
PJAK remembers the five revolutionaries executed in Iran 12 years ago, calling upon all the advocators of freedom to enhance the freedom struggle and choose the path of people’s liberation.
https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/pjak-remembers-9-may-martyrs-59813
- The Mother Tongue: The struggle for Kurdish education in Rojhelat
07 May 2022 | Rudaw
According to the 1979 Iranian constitution, minorities in the country have the legal claim to be taught their own language in schools. However, over 40 years since the drafting of the constitution, this right is yet to be implemented fully in many areas and Kurds of the country, as well as other minorities, still struggle with the inaccessibility to an education in their own language.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/070520221
- International Workers’ Day: Several Kurdish labour activists, teachers detained
06 May 2022 | KHRN
Iranian security forces detained several Kurdish labour activists and teachers before and during International Workers’ Day across Iranian Kurdistan. On 1 May 2022… that has been named Teacher’s Day in Iran, numerous protest rallies were held in various cities of Iran by labour activists and teachers.
- Kurdish refugee’s “toothbrush” self portrait nominated for Australia’s top prize
06 May 2022 | KHRN
For artist Mostafa Azimitabar, a Kurd who fled Iran, the honor came persecution just over a year after he was released from one of Australia’s notorious immigration hotels.
- Iranian minister threatens Afghan refugees over census
06 May 2022 | Al-Monitor
An Iranian minister said today that Afghan refugees in the country must participate in the census. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that not participating in the census is “illegal” and “called on the Afghan nationals to cooperate.” The government wants to determine exactly how many Afghans are in Iran in light of the influx following the Taliban takeover last year, the official IRNA today.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/05/iranian-minister-threatens-afghan-refugees-over-census
- NGOs expose increase in number of women executed in Iran
29 April 2022 | ANF
Norway-based Iranian Human Rights Organization (IHR) and France-based NGOs Together Against Executions (ECPM) have published their 14th annual report on executions.
According to the report, “Iran is embarking on a strong comeback on the international stage with negotiations surrounding its nuclear program”, but at the same time the country “continues to carry out executions.”
- Iran arrests protesters angry at giant waste landfill
28 April 2022 | Rudaw
Iranian police on Thursday arrested several stone-throwing protesters furious at the failure of the local authorities to close a gigantic waste landfill, state media reported. Residents of the village of Saravan in Iran’s northern Gilan province have been blocking the entrance to the garbage dump for more than two weeks, state broadcaster IRIB said.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/280420222
- Iran: IRGC intelligence detains activists ahead of Labour Day
28 April 2022 | KHRN
The Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arrested seven labour and women’s rights activists in Baneh, Kurdistan province, on 26 April.
The names of these activists are Nishtiman Rahmati, Parvin Abdollahpour, Hassan Ezzati, Saeid Mohammadi, Omar Soleimani, Fateh Majidi, and Afshin Rahimi.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/iran-irgc-intelligence-detains-activists-ahead-of-labour-day/
- Zeinab Jalalian is still deprived of the right to visit her family in the 15th year of her imprisonment
27 April 2022 | Hengaw
Zeinab Jalalian, a female political prisoner who has been in prison for the longest period of time in Kurdistan and Iran, has started her 15th year of imprisonment after being transferred to Yazd Prison and is still denied the right to leave and family visits.
- Activists condemn Turkish attacks on Kurdistan Region of Iraq
25 April 2022 | KHRN
A group of civil rights activists, law experts, and lawyers have issued a statement on 21 April, condemning the recent military aggression of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/activists-condemn-turkish-attacks-on-kurdistan-region-of-iraq/
- 34 Kolbars were killed and wounded in less than two weeks at the Nosud border
25 April 2022 | Hengaw
With wounding at least three more Kolbars in the border of Nosud, the number of Kolbars who have been killed or injured in less than two weeks in the borders of this city of Kermanshah province has reached 34.
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
- Kurdistan officials concerned about PKK, Iran and energy sector
13 May 2022 | Al-Monitor
As clashes between state and non-state armed groups continue in disputed territories of Iraq, high-ranking officials in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) lament a continuing lack of attention in Baghdad to their concerns.
- Is a water crisis brewing between Turkey and Iran?
13 May 2022 | Al-Monitor
A row over transboundary waters is simmering between Turkey and Iran, adding to recent tensions over the formation of a new government in Iraq and the control of the Iraqi region od Sinjar. Irked by Turkey’s construction of dams on the Aras and Tigris rivers, Tehran has come to publicly accuse Ankara, cranking up a dispute that has been largely confined to diplomatic channels thus far.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/05/water-crisis-brewing-between-turkey-and-iran
- Activists Urge UN Rep to Meet Them During Trip to Iran
12 May 2022 | CHRI
A group of prominent civil rights activists in Iran has called on UN representative Aena Douhan, who will be visiting Iran shortly to assess the negative impact of sanctions on the country, to meet with them during her state-sanctioned trip this week.
https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2022/05/iran-un-douhan-activists-letter/
- US intel details Iranian aggression in the Middle East
11 May 2022 | K24
Last week, the US released a devastating report on Iran’s aggressive actions in the region. On Tuesday, the Lead Inspector General (LIG) for US counter-terrorism operations in Iraq and Syria issued an important report covering developments in the Jan. 1 – Mar. 31 quarter.
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/28301-US-intel-details-Iranian-aggression-in-the-Middle-East
5. Iranian troops replace Russian ones in Syria
10 May 2022 | ANHA
Israeli sources reported last week that Iranian troops replaced Russian ones in Syria that may lead to further attacks on U.S. troops in Syria. The source added that the presence of Iranian revolutionary guards on the ground in Syria will facilitate the stream of arms and weapons to Lebanon that would push Israel to carry out more air attacks on the shipments carrying weapons.
https://hawarnews.com/en/haber/iranian-troops-replace-russian-ones-in-syria-h30617.html
- Iran attempts to avoid accountability through UN visit
06 May 2022 | Kurdpa
As Iranian authorities prepare to welcome the UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures tomorrow, we denounce the Government’s instrumentalization of the system of UN human rights monitors in a cynical attempt to deflect attention from its well-documented record of human rights violations.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news/iran-attempts-to-avoid-accountability-through-un-visit
- Zeinab Jalalian is still deprived of the right to visit her family in the 15th year of her imprisonment
27 April 2022 | Hengaw
Zeinab Jalalian, a female political prisoner who has been in prison for the longest period of time in Kurdistan and Iran, has started her 15th year of imprisonment after being transferred to Yazd Prison and is still denied the right to leave and family visits.
- Interview: Atena Daemi was Jailed in Iran for Advocating Women’s Rights. Now She’s Free and Refusing to be Silent
27 April 2022 | CHRI
When Atena Daemi was growing up in Iran and attending school in a religious-conservative neighborhood in south Tehran, she noticed the many ways in which women were treated differently than men. Girls had to cover almost every inch of their bodies and severly restrict their activities, while men could wear and do almost anything they wanted.
- 34 Kolbars were killed and wounded in less than two weeks at the Nosud border
25 April 2022 | Hengaw
With wounding at least three more Kolbars in the border of Nosud, the number of Kolbars who have been killed or injured in less than two weeks in the borders of this city of Kermanshah province has reached 34.
REPORTS
- Water, Environment and Justice: Iran
10 May 2022 | IHR
The results of many dams and water transfer projects in Iran have been environmental injustice and migration to the city margins and shantytowns. For the past seven years, Abangan has sought to raise public awareness about water resource management, and in cooperation with the Iran Human Rights organization, it has addressed this issue from the perspective of human rights and environmental justice.
https://iranhr.net/en/reports/28/
- Arrest of seven Kurdish activists in Baneh, Iran
04 May 2022 | Hengaw
On the eve of May 1, International Labor Day, at least seven labor and civic activists from Baneh called Hassan Ezati, Nishteman Rahmati, Saeed Mohammadi, Omar Soleimani, Parvin Abdollah Panah, Fateh Majidi, and Afshin Rahimi were arrested by Intelligence Forces of IRGC on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/arrest-of-seven-kurdish-activists-in-baneh-iran
- The arrest of 39 Kurdish citizens in April 2022
04 May 2022 | Hengaw
During the last month, at least the arrest of 39 Kurdish citizens by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been recorded on charges of political and civil activities. These statistics have increased by 5.5% (2 cases) compared to March.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/the-arrest-of-39-kurdish-citizens-in-april-2022
- 55 Kolbars were killed and wounded in April 2022
03 May 2022 | Hengaw
According to the registered statistics by the Statistics and Documentation Center of Hengaw Human Rights Organization, in April 2022, at least 55 Kolbars and salesmen were killed and wounded on the borders of Kurdistan. 89% of the cases were victimized by direct fire from the Iranian Armed Forces.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/55-kolbars-were-killed-and-wounded-in-april-2022
- April 2022: Human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan
01 May 2022 | KHRN
In April, Iranian border forces targeted kolbars in the country’s western border areas, killing several and injuring many.
The last week of the month also saw several labour activists arrested by security forces ahead of the International Labour Day.
https://kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/april-2022-human-rights-violations-in-iranian-kurdistan/
- Annual Report on the Death Penalty – 2021
28 April 2022 | IHR
The 14th Annual Report on the Death Penalty Iran by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) and Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort (ECPM) provides an assessment and analysis of the death penalty trends in 2021 in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It sets out the number of executions verified by Iran Human Rights, the trend compared to previous years, the legislative framework and procedures, charges, geographic distribution and a monthly breakdown of executions.
https://iranhr.net/en/reports/27/
- Several human rights violations
27 April 2022 | Kurdpa
Between 27 and 29 April at least 16 human rights violations have been reported from Iranian Kurdistan.
https://kurdpa.net/en/news?Category=Human%20Rights
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.