Introduction
The Statistics Center of the Hana Human Rights Organization has published its monthly report on the human rights situation in Kurdistan for October 2025.
The information presented in this report has been collected through field investigations, interviews with victims of human rights violations and their families, and analysis of documents and credible local sources. All information has been independently verified before inclusion.
Accordingly, this report includes only those cases for which Hana has confirmed the accuracy and credibility of the available data.
1. Arbitrary Arrests
In October, the Hana Statistics Center recorded 48 cases of arbitrary arrest of Kurdish citizens in various cities and villages across Kurdistan by the security agencies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The number of arrests increased by 17% compared with the previous month and by 41% compared with October 2024.
Since the beginning of 2025, at least 700 Kurdish citizens have been arrested.
Investigations show that most of these arrests were carried out without a summons or judicial warrant, and the charges typically involved:
- Alleged cooperation with Kurdish opposition parties
- Civil or labor activism
- Media activities or publication of content on social networks
Among those detained this month were four women. Additionally, 22 detainees were collectively sentenced to a total of 300 months of imprisonment, and 11 individuals have been transferred to prison to serve their sentences.
During this period, a Kurdish citizen named Kawis Abdollahzadeh Aghdam, from Mahabad, was sentenced to death on the charge of “rebellion (baghi)”.
Moreover, the Supreme Court of Iran overturned the death sentences of six political prisoners associated with the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement:
- Sharifeh Mohammadi
- Tayfur Salimi Babamiri
- Soran Ghasemi
- Pejman Soltani
- Kaveh Salehi
- Rezgar Bigzadeh Babamiri
2. Right to Life and the Death Penalty
In October 2025, at least 29 Kurdish citizens were executed in various prisons across Iran.
The charges were as follows:
- 9 for drug-related offenses
- 16 for murder
- 3 for armed robbery
- and 1 political prisoner, Saman Mohammadi Khiyareh, executed on political grounds
Over the first ten months of 2025, at least 152 Kurdish prisoners have been executed across Iran.
Compared to the previous month, the number of executions rose by 14%, and compared to October 2024, it increased by 190% — reflecting a sharp escalation in the use of capital punishment against Kurdish citizens.
3. Kolbars
According to Hana’s documentation, five kolbars (cross-border couriers) were killed or injured in October.
Among them:
- Three were shot dead by the Islamic Republic’s border security forces in western border regions, and
- Two others were wounded.
All names of the victims have been recorded by the organization’s Statistics Center.
4. Suicides
Given the ongoing economic and social crises in Iran and Kurdistan, the Hana Human Rights Organization identifies suicide as a manifestation of structural and social violence, and therefore reports related cases as part of its human rights monitoring.
In October, at least nine suicides were documented — including three women, four men, and two children under 18.
One of the victims, Yasin Seif Panahi, a 21-year-old from Dehgolan, died by suicide under suspicious circumstances following his release from prison after serving three months.
The main causes of suicide were poverty, unemployment, and family-related problems.
Compared to the previous month, suicide cases decreased by 47%.
5. Domestic Violence
Violence against women persisted throughout October. Women and girls continued to suffer violence at the hands of male family members — fathers, husbands, or brothers.
As a result of these incidents:
- Shahla Karimian, from Mahabad, was killed by members of her family.
- Leila Ali Moradi, from Mariwan, was killed by an agent of the Islamic Republic.
- Sarina Rostami, a 16-year-old girl from Javanrud, died under suspicious circumstances.
- A 17-year-old girl from Divandarreh was severely injured after being violently assaulted by family members.
6. Workers’ Rights
In October, six workers lost their lives due to unsafe working conditions and workplace accidents — representing a 40% decrease compared to the previous month.
This figure does not include those who were injured or disabled as a result of workplace incidents.
7. Armed Clashe
On 7 October 2025, during an armed confrontation between unidentified individuals and forces of the Islamic Republic in the Bikareh Hosseinabad region of Mariwan, two government forces were killed.
Overall Assessment of the Human Rights Situation in Kurdistan – October 2025
The findings of this month’s report reveal that the human rights situation in Kurdistan remains critical and unstable.
The increase in arbitrary arrests, the alarming rise in executions, and the continuing structural violence against women and kolbars are key indicators of systematic human rights violations in the region.
While widespread violations of civil and political rights persist, the prevalence of poverty, unemployment, and job insecurity has also contributed to the rise in suicides and domestic violence.
The Hana Human Rights Organization expresses deep concern regarding the continuation of these violations and calls upon international organizations and the United Nations to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the systematic human rights abuses in Iranian Kurdistan.
Hana Human Rights Organization
November 2025
Use of this report is permitted with proper attribution.