The story full of sorrows of human rights in Kurdish region in Iran

Dear members of the human right organizations, we should stand up for put our pressure on to stop violence in any aspect of it. If we be together, nobody can beat us for approach our dreams that create a new world and get rid of all corruption rulers and injustice government.

Over the past several years, Iran has seen many changes. Many of these changes were very welcomed, by Iranians as well as international powers, assuming that the nuclear deal and the appointment of president Rohani would result in important political changes within Iran. One of these assumptions was that Iran would become more open and tolerant, which in the longer run would result in a decrease in human rights abuses.

Unfortunately, three years after the appointment of president Rohani and a year after the nuclear deal, it is fair to state that human rights abuses in Iran have increased significantly. While many of you might know this, only few are aware of the extreme extend of these human rights abuses by the Iranian regime within the Kurdistan area, the North-Western part of Iran.

Kurdistan, the centre of Kurdish settlement in Iran, is one of the most deprived provinces in the country. Its economy is based on agriculture, livestock farming and handicrafts, which mainly employ women and girls. As in most other areas of Iran, Kurdistan’s population is young, more than 42 per cent were then under the age of 15, according to 1998 UNICEF figures.

The story of violations of human rights in Kurdistan region of Iran is full of sorrows. every week, several unarmed Kurdish “kolberworkers” (Those who transport their goods with shower) and their horses are shot to death by Iranian soldiers for smuggling small goods at the Iranian border crossing near neighboring Iraqi and Turkish Kurdish regions. Many of those that have not been dead are left to bleed to death or are denied medical access while being arrested. In some cases, families even have to pay for the bullets that killed their family member or family members are left with no other option then to pay ransom in order to receive the body of their loved one back. This sorrowful story, this open wound was denied for a very long time, either because it was labeled as a lie and victimization, or because sometimes it was narrated in a way that was too heroic and vague and was hard to believe for the audience and maybe because of powerful political system by regime that show it up like this, by the way the fact is somewhere on this disastrous land, for many years, people have lived with suppression, prison, torture and executions as part of their daily life; that is for numerous reasons, but foremost because of their inevitable resistance. More heart breaking is that they were used to screaming in silence, even worst, they were used to hearing the cheers coming from the opposition of the center which itself is wounded by the suppressive system. the most refugees fleeing the violence in Iran make up the largest part of Kurdish people seeking asylum across all over Europe, that means how terrible circumstances of these area.

Kurds in Iran have long suffered deep-rooted discrimination. Their social, political and cultural rights have been repressed, as have their economic aspirations. Kurdish regions have been economically neglected, resulting in entrenched poverty. Forced evictions and destruction of homes have left Kurds with restricted access to adequate housing. Parents are banned from registering their babies with certain Kurdish names. The use of the Kurdish language in education is frequently thwarted. Religious minorities that are mainly or partially Kurdish are targeted by measures designed to stigmatize and isolate them. The discriminatory Gozinesh system ( a selection procedure that requires prospective state officials and employees to demonstrate allegiance to Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran ) denies Kurds equality in employment and political participation.

The Iranian authorities don’t allow the Kurdish language to be used in certain broadcasts and some publications. Expressions of Kurdish culture, such as dress and music, are respected. However, when Kurdish rights activists link their human rights to their Kurdish identity they risk further violations of their rights. All too often, these brave individuals have found themselves in jail or targeted for other abuses. Kurdish human rights defenders, community activists and journalists face arbitrary arrest and prosecution. Some become prisoners of conscience . people imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their conscientiously held beliefs. Others suffer torture, grossly unfair trials before Revolutionary Courts and the death penalty.

According to Amnesty International published below report to draw attention to the ongoing repression of Kurds in Iran. It is calling on the Iranian authorities to take concrete measures to end the discrimination and associated human rights violations, in accordance with their obligations under international law. In broad terms, it is callin on the Iranian authorities to:

• take effective measures to ensure that Kurds and all other members of minority communities in Iran men, women and children alike
• enjoy their full range of human rights;
• amend or abolish all legislation and practices that discriminate against minority communities, including the discriminatory gozinesh criteria governing employment and public office;
• promote and protect the rights of human rights defenders;
• publicly condemn torture and other ill treatment and take immediate steps to eradicate such abuses;
• release immediately and unconditionally all prisoners of conscience;
• ensure that all trials respect international fair trial standards;
• commute all death sentences and order an immediate moratorium on executions.

The report cites examples of religious and cultural discrimination against the estimated 12 million Kurds who live in Iran and form around 15 percent of the population.

Iran’s constitution provides for equality of all Iranians before the law. But, as our examples shows, this is not the reality for Kurds in Iran. The Iranian government has not taken sufficient steps to eliminate discrimination, or to end the cycle of violence against it and punish those responsible. All in all, Iranian Kurds are running out of patience.

It is my hope that the authorities of the Islamic republic will reconsider their past policies in light of their negative consequences and will take a right and transparent approach to reestablish the legal and human rights of this group of Iranian citizens. Thisis a goal that can only be achieved through equal dialogue, rule of law and elimination of security-oriented policies in Kurdistan.

Some reference of statistics in this article : HRANA, Amnesty International, Democracy digest

Jonas Sanjabi

12/2/2016

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