MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : THE WEEKS REPORT FROM KURDISTAN / IRAN

Iran – 12. March 2019

• A number of arrests and charges against Kurds took place last week in Sanandaj city. The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj sentenced a prominent Kurdish labor activist Khaled Husseini to three years in prison. Husseini was charged with “propaganda to hold General Strikes” and for holding protests against the execution of three Kurdish activists. According to the Kurdistan Association for Human Rights (KMMK), Husseini was banned from representing himself during the court session. On Saturday another Kurdish labor activist Zanyar Dabaghi was sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” On Tuesday, March 5, the intelligence officers (Etelaat) arrested two Kurdish environmental activists, Jamal Assadi and Armin Esparlos. On Saturday, another Kurdish man, Majeed Awar was arrested for unknown charges by the intelligence officers in Sanandaj.  In Urmia, the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced a Kurdish man, Farshad Abbasi to five years in prison for “membership of a Kurdish opposition party.”
• On Friday, a border porter, known as Kolbars, was injured by Iranian guards near Piranshahr. In Pawa two Kolbars were arrested by the Iranian border guards and were taken into custody.  According to Hengaw human rights group, the Kolbars were beaten by the Iranian guard after their arrest.

• The most recent global report for Social Institution and Gender Index by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranked Iran as one of the worst places in the world for gender equality. Iran’s “restricted civil liberties” for women was as high as 75.1%. The report also sheds light on “discrimination in the family” against women, which puts Iran at 89%.
• More via www.mesop.de