Iran’s Kurdish regions on strike in protest to executions

The stores and businesses of Sunni areas of the Kurdish regions of Western Iran are closed today in protest to the recent execution of Kurdish political prisoners in Tehran. (read report)

The executed prisoners
In the cities of Sanadaj, Marivan, Baneh and Kamyaran in Kurdistan province, and Mahabad, Boukan and Oshnouyeh in Western Azerbaijan province as well as other regions, reportedly numerous stores have closed their doors to business in protest, and the cities have assumed a security atmosphere.

In some cities such as Kamyaran, where the hanged teacher Farzad Kamangar was from, students have gone on strike and the city streets are deserted.
Images of deserted cities in Western regions of Iran which
have gone on strike in protest to the executions:

Farzad Kamangar, Ali Heydarian, Farhad Vakili and Shirin Alam Holi were the four Kurdish prisoners who were hanged in Tehran on Sunday along with Mehdi Eslamian.

Opposition groups in the Kurdish regions of Iran urged people to participate in a public strike to protest against the sudden and unannounced hangings. Reportedly there has been widespread response to the rally and the city centres are deserted today and police and security forces are on alert in the region.
Reportedly, on Wednesday, security forces had summoned union officials to warn them against participation in any strikes.

Yesterday Human Rights Watch condemned the execution of five prisoners and warned that 17 other Iranian Kurds are in imminent danger of execution in Iranian prisons.

They also reported that the remains of the four executed Kurds have not yet been delivered to the families for burial.

Iran’s opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have also spoken out against the executions.

Mehdi Karroubi announced that the five people were executed while their charges were not proven beyond a doubt and the very fact that the executions were carried out without proper notification to the attorneys and families of the detainees goes to show that “justice was scarce and the current procedures do not coincide with legal and Islamic principles.”

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Iran: Kurdistan Human Rights Organization speaker arrested
Source: Radio Zamaneh

Ejlal Qavami
Islamic Republic security forces arrested Ejlal Qavamai, spokesman for Kurdistan Human Rights Organization yesterday. Kordaneh website reports that his arrest appears to be connected with his interview with the media regarding the general public strike yesterday in Kurdish cities of Iran.
Yesterday a number of Kurdish cities closed down all business and activity in protest to the sudden execution of five political prisoners in Tehran.

Farzad Kamangar, Ali Heydarian, Farhad Vakili and Shirin Alam Holi are four Iranian Kurds that were executed on Sunday along with Mehdi Eslamian in Iran.

Ejlal Qavami had also been arrested before and sentenced to imprisonment for his human rights activities.

The Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reports that the Family of Shirin Alam Holi is under pressure by Iranian security forces.

The security officers have reportedly impeded mourners from entering the Alam Holi home and forced mourning women out of their house.

The report adds that Alam Holi home is repeatedly raided and only Alam Holi’s mother and father are allowed to stay there.

Shirin Alam Holi’s mother, sister, uncle, nephew and grandfather have all been arrested and released on bail.

Iran’s Kurdish regions on strike in protest to executions
In other reports the family of the other executed political prisoner, Farzad Kamangar, are being threatened with arrests as well.

Farzad Kamangar’s attorney insists that the officials have no evidence to justify his hanging and Kamangar was executed before he was allowed a last visit with his attorney and kin, which is in violation of Iran’s judicial laws.