Friday, July 22, 2005

The Iranian state's repressive policy towards the Kurdish people in Iranian Kurdistan

Kurdish Media:
Since the killing of Shuana Kardi, a Kurdish activist, on Saturday July the 13th by the Pastaram in the city of Mahabad, Iranian Kurdistan, the people of this city have come every day to the streets in order to protest against the Iranian state's oppressive policy towards the Kurds.

They expressed their demands for democracy, their national and cultural rights but the suppressive forces of the regime have attacked these demonstrations and about 100 people have been killed, arrested or crippled.

The city is surrounded by the military forces of the Islamic regime and people currently have no possibility to continue their normal life, but it should be mentioned that at the same time the people have reacted to this suppression in different ways and chanted slogans in which they demanded democracy, human rights and other democratic rights.

Iranian officials have answered to these demands and demonstrations with nothing but yet more oppression, killings and arrests.

Continuation of the above mentioned demonstrations in Mahabad has resulted in the spread of the demonstrations to other cities in Iranian Kurdistan. During the last few days, people in the cities of Piranshar, Sardajd, Mariwan, Rabat, Bokan, Narada, Ushnauia, Urumia, Salmaz, as well as Sanandaj and Kirmanshah through different means have demonstrated and shown their support to the people of Mahabad and their just demands. READ MORE

According to different Kurdish sources these demonstrations are becoming ever bigger. The Islamic forces use gas, guns and other illegal methods to suppress those demonstrations and the Kurdish people. The regime has now enforced a kind of military order all over Iranian Kurdistan.

According to different sources hundreds of people in other cities have also been arrested and wounded, and those who have been wounded cannot be transported to hospitals because they are afraid and are in a difficult situation.

We, Norwegian Kurds, would like to express our support for the peaceful demonstrations in Mahabad and other cities of Iranian Kurdistan, and condemn the oppressive policy of the Iranian state against these peaceful demonstrations of the people.

At the same time we demand:

- those who have killed Shvana Kadri, to face the justice.

- those who have been arrested during the recent demonstrations and other political prisoners should unconditionally be released as soon as possible.

- the oppressive forces which have surrounded the cities in Iranian Kurdistan should immediately withdraw back to their military barracks, and leave the cities.

- as we are very worried about what will happen, we ask that a Norwegian delegation travels to Iranian Kurdistan as soon as possible in order to prepare a report about and assess the situation in Iranian Kurdistan.

- the right to holding peaceful demonstrations and gatherings, which is a fundamental human right, to be respected and granted to the people of Iranian Kurdistan.

- the Norwegian Parliament, the Norwegian state, and humanitarian organizations in Norway to press the Iranian regime by all means possible to recognize the national and cultural rights of the Kurdish people in Iranian Kurdistan.

- the international community, and especially the UN Security Council, to react against the state's oppressive policy in the Kurdish areas in Iran in order not to allow a new humanitarian catastrophe to take place as seen in Yugoslavia and Darfur in Sudan.

Oslo, 22 July 2005

Havkari - Coordinating centre of the Kurdish political parties and associations in Norway)