Resolution on Iranian Kurdistan to the UNPO XIII General Assembly 

The political and security situation in Iran has in many respects worsened during the past couple of years, especially when it comes to the political and human rights situation of the different non-Persian nations. One such example is the increasing number of executions as well as the systematic oppression of non-Persian nations during the past three years.

According to reports from various human rights organizations, at least 600 executions were carried out in 2016 after unfair trials. Some executions were conducted in public. Since January 2017, 206 known cases of execution have been reported by various human rights organizations. However, the unofficial figure is estimated to be much higher. It is also worth mentioning that a high number of the executed prisoners were Kurds.

Moreover, during the past three years the presence of Iran’s military forces and different paramilitary organizations has increased in urban areas as well as in the border regions of eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan. Militarization of Kurdistan and other non-Persian regions has intensified during the past couple of years.

Increasing militarization, oppression and discrimination are constant elements in the daily lives of people in Kurdistan and other non-Persian regions in Iran. Numerous reports, compiled by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, have documented that the non-Persian nations, including Kurds, Baluchis, Ahwazi Arabs, Azerbaijani Turks, and Turkmen, are subject to entrenched oppression and discrimination, curtailing their access to employment, political office, and their exercise of cultural, civil and political rights. Members of these nations who speak out against violations of their rights face arbitrary arrest, torture and other forms of ill treatment, grossly unfair trials, imprisonment, and the death penalty.

Thus, increasing militarization, executions and oppression, and discrimination is the fundamental strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to silence the voice of Kurds and other non-Persian nations in their legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination, freedom, democracy and equal linguistic, cultural and political rights.

Therefore, we, the UNPO General Assembly:

1 - Expresses its continued support for the struggle of the people of eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan for the right to self-determination, democracy, freedom, and national rights.

2 - Strongly condemns the Iranian regime’s execution of Kurdish political prisoners, human right activists, journalists, and other prisoners of conscience.

3 - Calls upon the Iranian regime to immediately halt executions and to comply with international laws and commitments in regard to the treatment of political prisoners.

4 - Remains deeply concerned about the Iranian regime’s grave violations of human rights and the rights of non-Persian nations in Iran.

5 - Calls upon the Iranian authorities to stop all militarization of Kurdistan and other non-Persian regions in Iran.

6 - Is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of Kurdish political activists who without fair legal procedures are sentenced to lengthy prison terms and death, and the harassment of Kurdish political activists, writers, journalists, filmmakers, labor activists and human rights defenders.

7 - Calls upon the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to stop the daily killing of the Kurdish civilians who work as Kolbars, i.e. those who carry goods on their back from southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan back to eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan.

For the general resolution please click here.