Iranian Kurdistan News- March 9th

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Iranian Kurdistan News in brief – March 9, 2015

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Editorial Staff in Iranian Kurdistan News in brief
Iranian Kurds remember Halabja chemical attack

Students commemorated the anniversary of the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja in ethnically Kurdish cities in what is unofficially known as Iranian Kurdistan. Last week, Kurdish students at Tehran University’s Social Sciences Department organized an event for the 27th anniversary of the Halabja attack and another, less well-known, chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Sardasht, located in northwest of Iran. The commemoration was part of the annual tradition of remembering those died in the Halabja chemical attack in Iraqi Kurdistan. Warplanes of the government of former dictator Saddam Hussein dropped internationally banned chemical weapons on March 16, 1988, killing an estimated 5,000 civilians and injuring tens of thousands more.  Last week, students in the Kurdish-populated regions organized similar activities in cities of Mariwan, Bokan, Jawanroud and elsewhere. According to news reports, about 1,000 students, academics, Iranian members of parliament and Halabja residents attended the anniversary in Tehran University. Sardasht and Piranshahr’s representative to the Iranian parliament also attended the commemoration…rudaw.net

Where are Kurdish political prisoners sentenced to death?

Despite the transfer of prisoners sentenced to death two week agao, Saman Nasim, Sirwan Najawi, Ibrahim Issapour, Ali Afshari, Habib Afshari and Younes Aghaiyan from section 12 of Urmiye prison, their relatives have not been given a clear answer so far. According to Human Righst Activists in Iran “HRANA”, all 6 political prisoners on Wednesday 18th February from section 12 of Urmiye prion were transferred to a unknown place. Because of the Saman was just 17 years during his detention and according to international law this is a subject to the convention for the Rights of Child, different organizations and human rights groups showed reaction because of the risk of execution. Now despite after 12 days of the transfer of the prisoners, there is no information available on the condition and the fate of the political prisoners. One of Saman’s close relatives said: ”We have not been given any information, we only got his items handed back to us.” An informed source regarding Younes Aghaiyan and Sirwan Najawi said: ”The families has been told verbally that their children are in the prison of Zanjan, despite several days since the claim have been mentioned, the families has not been able to confirm any meeting or contact or any information regarding their condition.”…diclehaber.com



23 Kurdish women activists in Iranian Prison

Local lawyers in Iranian Kurdistan say that 23 Kurdish women activists are currently behind bars in Iran. According to the lawyers, 21 of the women have been sentenced to a total of 68 years in prison. The remaining two women, Amal Sheikho and Zeynab Jalalyan, have been sentenced to life. Among the jailed women were two from the Iranian Kurdish city of Mahabad in east Kurdistan (Rojhelat) who were jailed for four years in total, and four from Bahai Urmia who received terms of seven years in total. The lawyers also revealed that nine other Kurdish women have been jailed, but neither the reason for their detention, nor the time they are slated to serve is known. More than 100 female Iranian activists are in jail, say the lawyers. Iranian authorities are often criticised for violating women’s rights. basnews.com | Ekurd.net