Today, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, merchants, shopkeepers, and business owners in most cities of Kurdistan responded to the call of Kurdish parties and initiated a general strike in support of two Kurdish female political prisoners, Pakhshan Azizi and Verishe Moradi.
According to verified images reviewed by Hana’s research team, the markets and businesses in cities such as Saqqez, Sanandaj, Marivan, Divandareh, Mahabad, Oshnavieh, Kermanshah, Islamabad Gharb, Bukan, Kamyaran, Baneh, and Ilam were completely and uniformly closed.
It is worth noting that, in the days leading up to the strike, security forces pressured and threatened merchants and shopkeepers against participating in the strike for political reasons or supporting Kurdish political prisoners. Despite all these threats, people in various cities widely welcomed the call for the strike. Following the widespread strike, security forces in Saqqez, Divandareh, and Sanandaj illegally sealed several shops and business premises. According to reports, security forces also tried to break the strike by calling and threatening shopkeepers, but significant civil resistance ensured the strike’s continuation.
Additionally, images were circulated showing military helicopters flying over some cities, including Sanandaj and Islamabad Gharb.
Shortly after the widespread strike began in Kurdistan cities, Maziar Tataei, one of Pakhshan Azizi’s lawyers, announced the suspension of her death sentence and the acceptance of her retrial request. On his X account, Tataei stated: “Today, during a visit to the Supreme Court with my esteemed colleague, Mr. Amir Reisiian, to follow up on Ms. Pakhshan Azizi’s retrial request, the court handling the case agreed to suspend the execution of her sentence under Article 478 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.” Despite the announcement of the sentence’s suspension, the strike continued throughout most of Kurdistan until the end of the day.
It is important to highlight that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a signatory to the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which mandates states to respect and guarantee citizens’ protest rights, including the right to strike, under Article 21. However, since its establishment, the Islamic Republic has shown minimal recognition of these rights and has criminalized protests through various legislative and judicial measures.
“Mangertin” (Strike) has always held a significant place in the tradition of political struggles in Kurdistan. Over the years, despite severe security pressures, strikes have remained a peaceful and civil method of protest against the Islamic Republic, employed on various political occasions in Kurdistan.