PJAK: Recent arrests a new project to suppress Kurdish activists

In a statement about the new wave of oppression by the Iranian regime in Rojhilat, East Kurdistan, the PJAK called it ‘the system's despicable efforts to eradicate civil society and its pioneers.’

The Council of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) issued a statement regarding the extensive arrest of civil and social activists in East Kurdistan by Iranian intelligence operatives.

The PJAK statement is as follows:

“Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed a new wave of arrests and the rise of a security atmosphere in East Kurdistan, involving a wide range of detention of artists, social, labor, political, and environmental activists. This is similar to the history of the Islamic Republic's labeling practices, by conventional stereotypes such as ‘affiliation with anti-system parties and animosity with the Islamic Republic’s principles.’

Recent statements by the deputy governor of Kurdistan province which associate the detainees with the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) is in the framework of the project of labeling activists and subsequently arresting and suppressing them. The project's completion loop accused the PJAK of killing Koohsar Fatehi, an ambulance driver of the Kamyaran Red Crescent, who lost his life in a shooting on 20 July 2018; while evidence suggests that the Iranian intelligence and security agencies themselves were behind the killing.

The deputy governor of Kurdistan province, attests to false and far-fetched statements, referring to some unscrupulous information and intelligence investigations, then relating the killing of Kamyaran Red Crescent ambulance driver to the PJAK, and accusing the activists of supporting this action. This is while detained persons and their field of activities within the framework of NGOs and the environment are in full compliance with the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran and have nothing to do with the PJAK.”

Take a stand against the Islamic Republic's scenarios

PJAK added: “The Free Life Party of Kurdistan evaluates the anti-human and anti-society activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in East Kurdistan as a new scenario of the security forces in their efforts to eradicate the civilian environment and its pioneers.

In this regard, all democratic movements, political and social activists inside and outside Iran are called upon to take a stand against these scenarios and the new wave of detentions in East Kurdistan and Iran.”