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The Iranian state's violent campaign against the
Kurdish people must stop!
10.8.2005
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Statement by Kurdish political Parties and
Organisations
The people of Iranian Kurdistan have been engaged in
mass protests for more than one moth now. The
protests began in the city of Mahabad, and similar
protests have taken place in several other cities:
Sanandaj, Prinshar, Mariwan, Bana, and Saqiz.
The supreme religious leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei,
has ordered Iran's security forces and the military
to crush the mass protests, which to the present
date has resulted in the death of fifty Kurds. In
addition, a large number of Kurds have been
arrested, including prominent Kurdish human rights
defenders, women's rights activists, journalists and
writers. Many of those who have been injured are
afraid of going to the hospitals for medical care.
They fear arrest and further reprisals from the
security forces. Some Kurds have also fled Iranian
Kurdistan. A flow of refugees is to be expected if
the cycle of violence escalates.
The Iranian state has implemented de-facto martial
law in many parts of Iranian Kurdistan. Furthermore,
the state has extended its military presence in
Kurdistan since the protests started, and has
reportedly deployed over 100,000 troops and
helicopter gunship to the region. In one incident,
on 3 August 2005, in the city of Saqiz, a military
helicopter gunned down civilians. The number of
deaths and injured is rising, among whom there are
children and women.
In a statement, dated 5 August 2005, Amnesty
International expressed "alarm at the cycle of
violence" in Iranian Kurdistan and called for an
investigation into the killing of demonstrators, and
that officials suspected of responsibility for human
rights violations such as unlawful
killings/extrajudicial executions should be brought
to justice in accordance with fair trial procedures.
However, thus far the International Community has
not reacted to the crisis in Iranian Kurdistan.
We the signatories, consisting of Kurdish political
parties and organisations, call upon the UN and EU
to send a team of observers to ascertain the nature
of the crisis in Iranian Kurdistan.
More specifically, we
demand that the International Community puts
pressure on the Iranian government to:
- end its violent campaign against the Kurdish
people;
- ensure that protesters that have been arrested
shall be released;
- investigate the reported killings of protesters
and ensure that those who
have ordered and taken part in the killing of
innocent civilians, be
identified and put on trial;
- that the Iranian state end its campaign of human
rights violations in
Iranian Kurdistan.
The signatories:
Congress of Federal Iranian Nationalities
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
Komala Party
Federation of Kurdish associations in Sweden
Kurdish Platform
The Kurdish Platform in Europe
Democratic Youth Union of Iranian Kurdistan
Source: Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
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