HRC54 Side Event with KMMK-G, Minority Rights Group, ECPM, and IED: Statement from Kochar Wallad Begi

Statement from Kurdpa’s Kochar Wallad Begi, from side event “IRAN’S WOMEN, MINORITIES AND THE FIGHT FOR RIGHTS · One Year After Jina Mahsa Amini’s Death in Custody”. Find our recap of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council for more information.

In the name of Jin, Jiyan, Azadi.

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests;  

As we mark the first anniversary of the brutal murder of Jina Amini in the hands of the morality police, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues its campaign of arbitrary arrests and violent crackdowns on civilians. Over the past year, especially in the last few weeks, the Iranian government has intensified its campaign through militarization and a wave of arbitrary arrest in the Kurdistan provinces, to intimidate the population. Additionally, only today we have recieved confirmed reports that Iranian army have placed military tanks near the grave of Jina Amini, to prevent the anniversary mourning taking place tomorrow.

The securitization of the public space and intimidation has become a routine in the cities of Kurdistan, with Kurdish citizens being singled out and searched at checkpoints. Night raids on people’s homes, arrests and beatings continue, and often the charges are for participation in political, social and union activities.

In an attempt to deviate the public attention on the crackdowns, the IRGC have deployed ground troops and heavy armory across the border with Iraq’s Kurdistan region, targeting the Kurdish oppositional parties based in exile in the Kurdistan region of Iraq through drone attacks and artillery shelling, with threats of imminent ground operation on their bases.  

Since the beginning of this year, 532 prisoners have been executed in Iran, 142 of them are Kurds including 2 women and 107 are Baluch. While, the Kurds and Baluch population only make up to 20% of the population in Iran.

In the past two weeks more than 75 family members of the victims of the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi revolution have been arrested, including children. Among them is the father of Mohammed Mehdi Karami, the young man who was executed, Mashalla Karami who has been detained for over 20 days.

Another detainee is the Kurdish journalist, Nazila Maroufian, who reported on Jina Amini, has for the fourth time been arrested, beaten, raped and now sentenced to one year imprisonment in the notorious Evin prison. She has reportedly suffered two minor heart attacks in detaining. Following her last arrest Nazila has begun a hunger strike demanding for her release and protesting the torture she has been subjected to.

Additionally the Iranian security forces have arrested Kurdish religious leaders for their support to the protestors demands and many of them are facing imprisonment, beatings, humiliations and are made redundant from work. Furthermore, their children are also facing torture, humiliation and rape to silence them. At least, eight religious figures’ children suffered rape however, their families are refusing to witness openly about the rapes.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will not respect nor adhere to international human rights standards. We, therefore call upon the international community to take notice of the human rights abuses in Iran, especially those against ethnic nations such as Kurds, that the voices of oppression against ethnic nations and the widespread suppression and massacre of people to be heard, and the Islamic Republic to be held accountable for its actions against women, girls and ethnic nations.  

 I thank you for your attention.

 Jin Jiyan Azadi.