The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) published its annual report for 2024. The report, which examines instances of human rights violations against Kurdish civilians in Iran during 2024, highlights the following:

As in previous years, the violations stem from factors such as language, religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and political beliefs. These issues persist under the discriminatory laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, alongside the repressive and violent actions of its security, military, judicial, and executive institutions.

The ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) uprising in 2022, as the longest period of protests in the history of the Islamic Republic, created a massive legitimacy crisis for the government both domestically and internationally. The government attempted to manage this crisis to some extent by approving the candidacy of Masoud Pezeshkian, aiming to increase public participation in the elections, but was unsuccessful. Looking at the official voter turnout statistics—figures that are always met with scepticism by the public—it can be concluded that despite extensive efforts to draw people to the polls, the majority of society boycotted the elections. The Kurdistan province had the lowest turnout in Iran, with only 23%.

In its continued suppression of Kurdish civilians and activists within the country, the state intensified its pressure on Kurdish opposition forces in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This was accompanied by further missile strikes on the Kurdistan Region throughout the year. During this period, the first phase of a security agreement between Iran, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Regional Government was implemented. As part of this agreement, several families of members from various factions of the Komala Party were relocated from Zirgwez in the Kurdistan Region to a new camp in the Sordash area. In line with these policies and amidst rising tensions between the Islamic Republic and Israel, the Iranian government executed four Komala members in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj after 19 months of enforced disappearance. They were accused of “espionage for Israel.” Additionally, four other Kurdish civilians were executed in Orumiyeh Central Prison on the same charges.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which began a new phase of militarisation in Kurdistan in 2007, continued constructing military bases and roads in the mountains of Shaho and Kusalan throughout the year.

On the second anniversary of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ uprising and the state-sponsored killing of Jina Mahsa Amini, Kurdish parties and various organisations issued calls for action. In response, shopkeepers and local businesses in several Kurdish cities went on strike. Despite efforts by the Iranian security apparatus to suppress these strikes through threats, intimidation, and the summoning of shopkeepers, businessmen and civil rights activist, widespread strikes were observed across much of Kurdistan on 15 September 2024, as documented in videos and images shared online.

The issuance and confirmation of death sentences for Kurdish political prisoners continued throughout the year. In a particularly shocking development, two Kurdish women political prisoners, Pakhshan Azizi and Verisheh (Wirishe) Moradi, were sentenced to death. Furthermore, eight Kurdish civilians arrested during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising in Bukan remain at risk of execution on charges such as “armed insurrection” (baghi) and “enmity against God” (moharebeh). The execution of prisoners convicted of general offences, including drug-related crimes and premeditated murder, also increased in 2024. Despite widespread domestic and international protests, the judiciary has persisted in carrying out these executions.

In late 2024, the IRGC Intelligence Organisation and the Ministry of Intelligence arrested dozens of Kurdish civilians and activists in various cities across Kurdistan on political charges. By the end of the year, the fate of most of these individuals remained unknown.

According to official government statistics on unemployment and inflation rates, the provinces of Kurdistan, Ilam, and Kermanshah remain at the top of Iran’s poverty indices. A significant portion of the population in these border provinces continues to rely on kolbari, despite the life-threatening risks. Instead of addressing this work, which people engage in out of necessity due to lack of investment in industrial and commercial infrastructure, and creating alternative employment opportunities, the government has responded with violent measures, perpetuating the systematic killing of kolbars.

Although the controversial Chastity and Hijab Bill was passed by the Iranian Parliament in 2024, it has yet to be implemented due to public resistance and fear of widespread protests, particularly from women. The heightened societal awareness of women’s rights and LGBTIQ+ rights in Iran, following the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, has increased the cost of violating these rights for the government and conservative elements of society. The growing prevalence of optional veiling over the past two years is a direct outcome of this struggle, not the government’s desire for change.

Another significant issue is femicide. Reports and statistics indicate that the killing of women by male family members under the pretext of “honour and dignity” continued in 2024, facilitated by the misogynistic legal framework of the Islamic Republic.

The various sections of this report provide statistics and details regarding the killing and injuring of kolbars, the implementation of death sentences, Kurdish political and religious prisoners facing or under threat of execution, femicides, extrajudicial killings, civilian deaths from landmine explosions, incidents during migration, summonses and arrests of Kurdish civilians and activists for political reasons, and sentences issued against them.

Despite the continuous efforts of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) to document and report cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan, it is important to emphasise that the statistics and information presented in this report only cover cases that have either been previously verified and published by this organisation or, in instances where other sources have been used, have been independently investigated and verified by our colleagues.

Nonetheless, it is important to stress that this report does not cover all instances of human rights violations against Kurdish civilians in Iran. Undoubtedly, numerous cases remain unreported due to pressures from security forces on individuals and families, fear of the consequences of disclosure, and media restrictions.

Detentions and Arrests

In 2024, at least 474 Kurdish civilians and activists in the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ilam, Hamadan, Tehran, and Razavi Khorasan were arrested by security forces or judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran for political reasons. The highest number of arrests occurred in the cities of Oshnavieh, Piranshahr, and Bukan in West Azerbaijan Province.

Among those arrested were 10 children, seven Sunni clerics and activists, six Yarsani civilian and activists, and 12 members of dadkhah families who had lost loved ones to state violence in Iran.

While some of the detainees were later released on bail, others remain in custody, and some have been transferred to prison to serve their sentences.

Sentences

In 2024, at least 97 Kurdish civilians and activists faced charges of a political nature and were sentenced by Islamic Revolutionary Courts and criminal courts in various provinces. These sentences included executions, fixed and suspended prison terms, flogging, exile, monetary fines, and other penalties. Some of these sentences were upheld by appellate courts and the Supreme Court of Iran.

This year, the highest number of sentences were issued by the Criminal Court in Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, and the Islamic Revolutionary Courts in Saqqez and Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province.

Kurdish Political and Religious Prisoners at Risk of Execution

Currently, 12 Kurdish civilians and political activists are imprisoned with death sentences, while at least eight others face the risk of being sentenced to death. These individuals, some of whom were detained during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, have been subjected to unjust conditions, including denial of access to chosen legal counsel, severe physical and psychological torture, and unfair trials, resulting in inhumane death sentences. Families of these prisoners and human rights organisations have raised alarms over the critical conditions, the imminent risk of confirmation of death sentences, and the potential execution of these individuals. They are calling for the revocation of these sentences and immediate attention to their dire circumstances.

Seven Kurdish political and religious prisoners – Pakhshan Azizi, Verisheh (Wirishe) Moradi, Hatem Özdemir, Yousef Ahmadi, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou, and Saman Mohammadi Khiyareh – have been sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Courts in Tehran, Orumiyeh, and Sanandaj on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi) and “enmity against God” (moharebeh), and are currently held in the central prisons of Orumiyeh, Sanandaj, Evin, and Ghezel Hesar.

The cases of Pakhshan Azizi, Verisheh (Wirishe) Moradi, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, and Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou have been referred to the Supreme Court for reconsideration following appeals. However, the death sentences of Hatem Özdemir, Yousef Ahmadi, and Saman Mohammadi Khiyareh have been upheld by the Supreme Court, posing an imminent risk of execution.

Additionally, five other Kurdish civilians – Shahin Vasaf, Azad Shojaei, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, Edris Ali, and Nasser Bekrzadeh – have been sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh on charges of “espionage for Israel.” Their cases are currently under special review by the Supreme Court while they remain imprisoned in Orumiyeh Central Prison.

Meanwhile, at least eight other Kurdish civilians and activists – Ali Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rizgar Beigzadeh Baba-Miri, Javanmard Mam-Khosravi, Mohammad Faraji, Rauf Sheikh-Maroufi, and Soleiman Adhami – are being held in the central prisons of Orumiyeh and Bukan. Most were arrested by security forces in Sanandaj and Bukan during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising.

These detainees face severe charges, including “armed insurrection” (baghi), “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz), and “enmity against God” (moharebeh), as cited in the indictments against them. Concerns are mounting about the possibility of death sentences being issued for these individuals.

Executions

The KHRN has documented and confirmed the execution of 136 prisoners in various prisons across the country in 2024. The majority of these executions took place in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj and Orumiyeh Central Prison.

Of these, 79 individuals were executed for drug-related offences, 41 for “premeditated murder,” five for “armed robbery,” and one for “rape.”

Additionally, in 2024, 10 Kurdish political and religious prisoners were executed. These include Davoud Abdollahi, Farhad Salimi, Anvar Khezri, Khosrow Besharat, and Kamran Sheikheh on charges of “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz); Pezhman Fatehi, Mohsen Mazloum, Mohammad Faramarzi, and Vafa Azarbar on charges of “espionage for Israel”; and Reza Rasaei, a Kurdish Yarsani civilian arrested during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, on charges of “complicity in the murder” of a security official.

Kolbars

In 2024, at least 51 Kurdish kolbars (load carriers) lost their lives in the border regions of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and West Azerbaijan provinces. Among them, 37 were killed by direct gunfire from Iranian military forces, three died after falling from heights or in vehicle overturn during pursuit by those forces, and one was shot dead by Iraqi border guards. Additionally, four kolbars, including a child, succumbed to frostbite, three died after falling from heights, two suffered fatal heart attacks, and one was killed in a road accident while engaged in kolbari.

The border areas of Baneh in Kurdistan Province and Paveh in Kermanshah Province, each with 12 recorded fatalities, along with Sardasht in West Azerbaijan Province, with eight fatalities, were the deadliest regions for kolbars this year.