Remembering Kurdish Human Rights activists in Iran

by

Photo: Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand

Kurdish activists have faced increased hostility by the Iranian government. Their peaceful campaigning for democracy, constitutionally protected rights and greater ethnic rights have been met with an iron fist. Many activists have been detained in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. Mohammad Saddigh Kaboudvand is among those detained, who founded Kurdish Human Rights Organisation in 2005.

Kaboudvand has been detained since 2007, and has had several health implications because of his imprisonment conditions. His 11-year prison sentence was upheld in 2008 by an Iranian court of appeal for “acting against national security through founding of Kurdish Human Rights Organisation”.

This organisation aimed to highlight nation-wide Human Rights abuses, including the practice of penal laws such as stoning and executions. Crackdown on activists and opposition in Iran ahead of parliamentary elections have dramatically increased. According to an Amnesty International report, Iranian regime execution of dissidents have quadrupled last year.

Kaboudvand long sentence is solely due to his campaigning for Human Rights, and raising awareness of ethnic issues in Iran despite his detoriorating health. In a brief phone conversation on the 16th of December 2008, Kaboudvand explained to his wife that doctors at Evin prison were alarmed at his health conditions. He has high blood pressure, kidney infection, and suffered two strokes since his arrest.

We are reminding our supporters that we have a separate online initiative where we are documenting the cases of Kurdish men, women, and children who were imprisoned, unjustly killed, or forcibly disappeared for their ethnicity. You can help us document these cases by visiting Prisoners on Alliance For Kurdish Rights.