No Friends But The Mountains

Kurds have suffered a long history of discrimination in Iran. In a report released in 2008, Amnesty International said that Kurds have been a particular target of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kurds' "social, political and cultural rights have been repressed, as have their economic aspirations." As a result, many human rights activists in Iran often shift their focus to specifically identify the Iranian authorities' violations of human rights against the Kurdish minority. However, according to Amnesty International, those activists who link their human rights work to their Kurdish identity risk further violations of their rights.

 

Much of the Kurdish region is mountainous, and the Kurdish people are known for their skill at navigating the rugged terrain even in the harsh winter climate. A saying goes "No friends but the mountains" and is a reflection of the difficult conditions faced by Kurds in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran as they attempt to maintain their rights as a people and the right of their shattered country to be recognised and represented. There is a brisk trade over the mountains in general produce, as well as contraband. But without doubt the most hazardous cargo for the Kurds is people. Many refugees rely on the Kurds to help them escape the repressive Iranian regime across the mountains to Turkey. What awaits these refugees on arrival in Turkey will be the subject of another article.

Border skirmishes with both Turkish and Iranian security forces are common. According to multiple reports published last year, 90 Kurdish merchants and porters were killed and 57 were injured in 1388 (March 2009 to March 2010).

In the first 6 months of 1388, security forces killed 58 people and injured 28 others. These are the names of some of those killed:

 

Saleh Karimi	Hamid Ghand Kangaloo (Makou)
Asad Mousavi Zadeh ( Khoy)	Mohieddin Jolbakoo (Salmas)
Jalal (Saghez)	Eghbal Bakhtiari (Mahabad)
Anvar Eghbai (Saghez)	Rahim Mahmoodpour (Sardasht)
Haji (Sardasht)	Sayyed Fakher Omarshiva (Khoy)
Seraj Mousalou (Khoy)	Abbas Abdipour (Bookan)
Shafeh Masoumi	Vafa son of Majid

 

In the second half of 1388 security forces killed 32 merchants and porters and injured 29 others. The following are some of the names that have been published by different sources:

Killed

1 - Mohammad Sartakeyi, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

2 - Omar Zaynabi, Bookan resident, killed on Bookan - Mahabad road as a result of direct shooting by security forces

3 - Jamal Chapi, Mahabad resident, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

4 - Vahhab son of Rahman, resident of Vashkehdari near Mahabad, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

5 - Edris Mohammadian, Bookan resident, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

6 - Ghader Ahmadpour, resident of Ghalehrash near Sardasht, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

7 - Morteza Hamzehzadeh, Salmas native, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

8 - Vafa Keshvardoost, Mahabad native, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

9 - Ebrahim Arvand, Mahabad native, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

10 - Pezeshk Ghader Asadi, Salmas native, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

11 - Garman Omri, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

12 & 13 - two other border merchants were killed with Garman Omri but could not be identified after their car caught fire

14 - Haydar Shamami, Khoy native, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

15 - Mohammad Rostami, native of Ghayi - Beh - Dehr near Baneh, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

16 - Mahmood Margeh Darzhiri, Marivan native, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

17 - Saji Manavi, border merchant, killed as a result of direct shooting by security forces

18 - Gharib, killed in the border region near Baneh as a result of direct shooting by security forces

19 - Najmeddin, killed in the border region near Baneh as a result of direct shooting by security forces

20 - Two unidentified men, killed in the border region near Baneh as a result of direct shooting by security forces

Injured

1 - Shirzad Molla Salim, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

2 - Hassan Rahimi, native of Dolehbi near Sardasht, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

3 - Haji, native of Dolebi near Sardasht, , border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

4 - Khazr Sivehtali, native of Sivehtal near Sardasht, , border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

5 - Barzan Sharifi, native of Bizhouyi near Sardasht, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

6 - Azad Sabouri, native of Aalan near Sardasht, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

7 - Abdollah Balisan, Sardasht native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

8 - Abdollah Shaykheh, Sardasht native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

9 - Ebrahim Shaykhehpour, native of Ghaleh - Rahsh near Sardasht, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

10 - Ardeshir, Nodasheh native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

11 - Noureddin Ebrahimi, native of Alkaviyi near Shno, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

12 - Khaled Miran, native of Alkaviyi near Shno, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

13 - Mehdi Mom Rahman, Sardasht native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

14 - Havari Ghaderi, native of Ziveh near Sardasht, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

15 - Jamal Koolaki, native of Mah - Rani near Orumieh, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

16 - Samkoo Ebrahimi, Banou - Khalaf native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

17 - Khadr Salehzadeh, native of Halloyi near Sardast, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

18 - Abdollah Mohammadi, Baneh native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

19 - Jamal Saeedi, Baneh native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

20 - Kayvan son of Feraydoon, Baneh native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

21 - Aboobakr, native of Goolin near Baneh, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

22 - Mohammad Ranay, Saghez native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

23 - Jamal Eslami, Saghez native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

24 - Haydar Rahmanzadeh, Saghez native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

25 - Mohammad Amin Soumani, Sardasht native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

26 - Bayzid, Sardasht native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

27 - Mohammad Amin Shalmashi, Sardasht native, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

28 - Bijan Yusefi, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

29 - Mansour Niknafs, border merchant, injured as a result of direct shooting by security forces

 

In November 2009, Iran executed Ehsan Fattahian - the first of over a dozen political prisoners on death row - despite an international campaign calling for his release. Authorities accused Fattahian of carrying arms for an "illegal organization" and sentenced to several years in prison. Fattahian never confessed to carrying arms and was not given a fair trial nor was he permitted access to his lawyer and the Komala - the illegal organization he was accused of associating with - claimed that he had left the group a long time ago. Fattahian attempted to appeal, and when he did so, he was sentenced to death for "enmity against God". His execution was condemned by human rights groups and activists internationally.

In January 2010, Iran executed a second Kurdish political prisoner, Fasih Yasamani, for "enmity against God". Like Fattahian, Yasamani was tortured and authorities tried to force him to confess but he refused. He was also denied a fair trial.

Without notifying the families or lawyers of the political prisoners, Iranian authorities ordered the execution of 4 more Kurdish political prisoners - Ali Heydarian, Farhad Vakili, Mehdi Eslamian, Shirin Alam Hooli, and Farzad Kamangar, a teacher who received a lot of attention internationally following his arrest - in Iran on May 9th, 2010. The four political prisoners suffered severe torture at the hands of Iranian authorities and were also forced to confess their memberships in an illegal organization - namely PJAK. None of the activists were given fair trials nor did they have access to their lawyers. Amnesty International described the executions as "a blatant attempt to intimidate members of the Kurdish minority" All activists denied any links to PJAK and the leader of PJAK also denied any links to the 4 activists.

Despite repeated international calls demanding the release or retrial of these 4 political prisoners, all were executed without any prior notice or warning. Following the executions, Iranian authorities refused to return the bodies of those executed to their families.

As of May 2010, there are at least 16 other Kurdish political prisoners on death row. Not one case has been noted to have received a fair trial.

Kurdish Regional Government-controlled parts of Iraqi Kurdistan are estimated to contain around 45 billion barrels of oil, making it the sixth largest reserve in the world. During May 2010 reports of Iraqi military bombardment of Kurdish regions have become a regular event. There have been additional reports of skirmishes resulting in deaths and injuries.

 

(Sources: WikipediA - Iranian Kurdistan @sbelg)

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