On this solemn occasion of Human Rights Day, we commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948 — a foundational document that enshrines the inalienable rights and freedoms inherent to all human beings, irrespective of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, or any other status.
As we reflect on this historic pledge, Hana Human Rights Organization draws urgent attention to the grave and systematic violations of human rights in Iranian Kurdistan over the past year. The Islamic Republic of Iran has intensified its suppression of fundamental rights, particularly in Kurdish regions, through widespread practices that violate international legal standards.
According to data meticulously collected by our organization, Iranian Kurdistan, along with Baluchistan, bears the highest rates of political imprisonment and executions in the country. The judiciary in these regions functions not as an impartial entity, but as a tool of the intelligence and security services, depriving defendants of fair trial rights guaranteed under both international human rights law and Iran’s own domestic legal obligations.
The “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, which originated in Kurdistan and inspired widespread protests across Iran, has been met with severe reprisals. Kurdish women, in particular, face targeted suppression of their civil and political rights. Peaceful human rights defenders and women’s rights activists are systematically branded as “separatists” and charged with grave offenses aimed at stifling dissent.
We highlight the imminent executions of two Kurdish political and human rights activists:
Pakhshan Azizi, a 40-year-old humanitarian aid worker, was sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran in July 2024. Her conviction for “armed rebellion against the state” (baghi) is solely based on her peaceful humanitarian work between 2014 and 2022, assisting women and children displaced by conflict.
Verisheh (Wrishe) Moradi, a 39-year-old member of the East Kurdistan Free Woman Society (KJAR), faces execution following a grossly unfair trial by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran in November 2024. She was also convicted of baghi based on unsubstantiated allegations of affiliation with Kurdish opposition groups.
In addition, Iranian authorities continue to use enforced disappearances as a tool of intimidation and repression. Human rights defenders and political activists in Iranian Kurdistan are arbitrarily detained and disappeared, often outside the framework of Iran’s own criminal procedure laws. This pattern of state-sponsored abductions underscores a flagrant disregard for Iran’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
One egregious case involves the enforced disappearance and subsequent secret execution of four Kurdish Iranian political prisoners: Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, Mohammad (Hazhir) Faramarzi, and Mohsen Mazloum. Arrested on 20 July 2022, they were denied due process and subjected to enforced disappearance before being secretly executed on 29 January 2024. Complaints related to these violations have been submitted to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
In light of these systemic abuses, Hana Human Rights Organization calls upon:
The UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to prioritize investigations into human rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan.
All UN Special Rapporteurs, particularly those on extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and the independence of judges and lawyers, to address these violations with urgency.
The international community to demonstrate resolute determination in holding the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable for its persistent breaches of international human rights obligations.
We reaffirm our commitment to seeking justice and amplifying the voices of the oppressed in Iranian Kurdistan. In the spirit of the UDHR, we urge collective action to ensure that fundamental human rights are protected, respected, and fulfilled for all.
Hana Human Rights Organization
10 December 2024