MESOPOTAMIS NEWS : THE WEEKLY MESOP BRIEF ON IRAN / KURDISTAN
- Febr 2019 – MESOP – The Islamic Revolutionary court of Piranshar sentenced three Kurdish youth to prison for “attempts to disrupt the national security” and connection to Kurdish parties. The sentences varied between a year, eight months, and five months. In Ilam, the Islamic court is also prosecuting a Kurdish poet for “insulting the holy figures.” According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK), the lawyer of the poet Zhakan Baran denied the prosecutor’s accusations. On Wednesday in a village of Urmia, the Iranian revolutionary guards arrested a Kurdish Imam after delivering a speech about the history of the Sunni sect and criticizing the Iranian regime. The Kurds in Iran form the largest group in Iran for political imprisonment.
- The protest movements continue in Iran against the unpaid salaries by the regime. On Saturday a group of municipality workers of Kermanshah city protested in front of the municipal building. The gathering of workers demanded their unpaid wages for the past three months and eight months of unpaid overtime.
- Last week, more Kurdish border porters (Kolbars) were targeted by the Iranian border guards. On Tuesday, February 5, one Kolbar was injured by the Iranian border guards between Baneh and the border of Iraqi Kurdistan. On Friday, also near Baneh, the Iranian guards ambushed a group of Kolbars leaving one injured severely. On Friday near Sardasht, another Kolbar was wounded by two bullets from the Iranian guards while carrying goods.