MESOPOTAMIA NEWs REPORT – THIS WEEK IN KURDISTAN – IRAN (22 Jan 2019)

• Tens of people been arrested by the Iranian regime in the most recent raids and detentions against Kurdish activists. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK), tens of members of the National Unity party, which mostly advocates for environmental issues, was arrested in Sanandaj and Kamyaran. The detainees were taken by Intelligence officers (Ettelaa’t). On January 17, Iranian security officers also arrested two Kurds from Sanandaj and one from Oshnaviah (Shino), allegedly for connections with Kurdish opposition parties.
• Last week was another bloody week for the Kurdish border porters (Kolbars). On Tuesday, January 15 one Kolbar was killed and another was wounded by Iranian border guards near Urmia. In addition, on January 16 another Kolbar died of freezing temperatures in the mountains on the Iraqi-Iranian border near Urmia. Also, on January 19 another Kolbar was injured when he was shot at by Iranian guards near Piranshahr. In Baneh, two Kolbars were severely injured when they fell off a cliff while carrying goods. In Ravansar, one Kolbar was injured as a result of a mine explosion on the border.
• Teachers from a number of schools in Saqqez have been called in for investigation by the local security office for their participation in a general strike held in November of 2018. According to human rights groups, the security forces released the teachers after several hours of questioning about their strike against the living conditions of the teachers in the country. On Saturday, firefighters held a strike in protest of their unpaid salaries for three months in Sanandaj.

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