According to published announcements, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) plans to hold an exercise under the “Jan-Fada” (Sacrifice My Life) campaign in Sanandaj on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with the participation of the Basij and the mobilization of resources from government institutions and educational centers. One notable feature of the event is the planned attendance of Hossein Taeb, the former head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization and a prominent figure in the Islamic Republic’s repressive apparatus, who has been subjected to international sanctions over his role in human rights violations.
The Hana Human Rights Organization has expressed serious concern over the planned event, viewing it as another step toward further securitizing Sanandaj and expanding an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in Kurdistan. In Hana’s assessment, the IRGC’s organized display of power in a city with a long history of protest repression goes beyond a propaganda event and conveys a message of intimidation directed at civil society and protesting citizens. Such an initiative cannot be analyzed separately from the Islamic Republic’s concerns about the political activities of Kurdish parties and the possibility that segments of Kurdish society may support their demands. The attempt to impose a security presence in public spaces, rather than demonstrating a commitment to public safety, reflects the authorities’ approach of responding to the political demands of the people of Kurdistan through intimidation and displays of coercive power.
Hana strongly condemns the use of public resources and the capacities of schools, universities, and government offices to demonstrate the authority of a military and security institution. Any pressure on citizens to participate in this campaign would violate their freedom of conscience and individual autonomy. Expanding the presence and display of power of security institutions in civilian spaces threatens freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and political participation. Hana emphasizes that the security of the people of Kurdistan cannot be achieved through intimidating campaigns and an intensified militarized atmosphere, but through ending repression, respecting fundamental freedoms, and recognizing the right of people to express their political demands peacefully.