Through the website, AKR aims to campaign for Kurdish human rights and spread awareness about the human rights violations of the Kurds in Kurdistan and in the Diaspora as a result of decades of oppression they have faced and continue to face every day while the international community turns the other way.

Our mission is to find and report as many human rights abuses as possible against the Kurdish minority and actively campaign against these crimes in order to inspire change within legal systems and policies that discriminate against Kurds in countries such as Turkey, Syria, and Iran.

Expect this platform to be a forceful tool that empowers the Kurdish voice. AKR aims to mobilize public opinion, collect information and disseminate knowledge about human rights abuses. And most of all, expect AKR to be very hopeful and ambitious, because activists at AKR will never give up until ensured the fact that Kurds in the region are able to benefit from basic human rights which enables them to speak freely and powerfully after many years of silence.

AKR encourages all to join forces with us against coercion, intimidation, hatred, and racism in order to shed some light upon the often forgotten brutality that the Kurds face on a daily basis by oppressive regimes. Now AKR, made up of students and youth activists, is standing up to say “Enough is Enough!”

AKR hopes that you will join us in this struggle.

To support AKR, visit http://www.kurdishrights.org/ regularly and help spread the word about AKR to others as well.

The Iranian government accused them of selling arms to Kurdish guerrilla fighters connected to P.K.K, which all of the Kurdish political parties strongly repudiate. On October 22, 2007,the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the sentence to death of Mr. Hasanpoor issued on July 9, 2007 by the Revolutionary Tribunal in Marivan, for, inter alia, “diffusion of separatist propaganda”, “treason” and “collaboration with Kurdish political opposition parties”.

IMHRO understands from sources inside Kurdistan that Hiwa Butimar has been in solitary confinement for more than a year and has undergone torture.

Hiwa Butimar’s brother, Hadi Butimar told IMHRO that his appeal against the sentence was referred to the same judge in Mariwan city, who confirmed it for a second time.

This is totally unacceptable, and shows clearly the summary and arbitrary nature of executions in Iran. How can an appeal case be referred to the same judge?

Reza Washahi, campaigner for minorities’ rights, told IMHRO: “How can the Iranian court accept the confession of a person who was under torture for more than a year? Why does the Iranian government not allow UN special representatives to visits prisons in Iran, especially Kurdish prisons? Why is Amnesty International not allowed to have an office in Iran or to have been allowed to visit Iran during the last 30 years?”

IMHRO strongly supports the abolition of the death penalty in Iran and calls on the Iranian government to stop the death sentence passed on Hiwa Butimar and Adnan Hasanpoor and to release these Kurdish journalists.
Hiwa Butimar won a Freedom of the Press reward in Italy in November of 2000.

Background
The Kurdish minority in Iran which numbers up to 6 million people live in the west midland, north-west and north-east areas of Iran. Iranian Kurdish people are denied social and political rights. Various human rights organisations report that hundreds of Kurds are in prison, some of them there for a very long time.

Recently reports indicate that there is huge arsenic pollution in the city of Ghorweh as a result of gold mining by Chinese companies in Sargonay mine in south-east Kurdistan.

Action
Write a letter to one of the following and express your concern about the two Kurdish journalists, Hiwa Butimar and adnan Hasanpoor. Call on the Iranian government to stop their execution and to release them immediately.

Template Letter:

Your Excellency,

I am writing you to express my deepest concern regarding the confirmation of the death sentences of Mr. Adnan Hasanpoor and Mr. Abdel Wahid (Hiwa) Butimar.

I urge you to commute Mr. Hasanpoor and Mr. Butimar’s death sentences immediately and to guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Hasanpoor and Mr. Butimar.

I call on you to release them immediately and unconditionally since their detention is arbitrary, as it only seems to sanction their human rights activities. I also urge you to ensure that they have access to adequate medical treatment and put an end to all acts of harassment against all Iranian human rights defenders.

Furthermore I urge you to conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, Article 6 (b) which stipulates that “everyone has the right [...] freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms”, as well as Article 12(2), which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.

Finally I urge you to ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with international and regional human rights instruments ratified by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I hope for your urgent attention to this matter.

Yours respectfully,

Please send your appeal to:

Secretary-General United Nations
Hon. Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
Supreme leader of Iran
Sayyed Ali Khamenei
E-mail via web site
http://www.leader.ir/

Iranian president
Mahmud Ahmadinejad
E-mail via web site
http://www.president.ir/en/

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Ms Louise Arbour
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Chairwoman of European parliament Human Rights committee
Ms Hélène FLAUTRE
Bureau d’Hélène Flautre au Parlement européen8G130, rue WierzB-1049, Bruxelles, Belgique

The EU court affirmed that the autonomy-seeking PKK, or Kurdistan Workers Party, and its political wing, known as KONGRA-GEL, were not in positions “to understand, clearly and unequivocally, the reasoning” what led EU governments to add them to the terror list.

The PKK was added to the list in 2002, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Its political wing, KONGRA-GEL, was added in 2004. The United States and Turkey also list the PKK as a terrorist organization. The register was drawn up to respect a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks which demanded that countries crack down on “terror” financing.

But an EU official said a new list of terrorist organizations had been drawn up in December 2007, including the PKK again, which took into account the views of the court in similar cases in the past. The PKK won an appeal last year giving it a right to a hearing and a new case to get it removed from the EU list. According to the Associated Press, Europe’s human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, has said the EU’s anti-terror rules violated democratic principles. EU states decided in April 2007 to inform groups and individuals when they are placed on the EU terror list. Those listed will now be able to ask why they were put on the list and why their assets are frozen. But there are still no procedures for an independent review and for compensation for possible human rights breaches. The Turkish government blames the PKK for allegedly being responsible for 37,000 deaths since the group launched an armed struggle for a Kurdish homeland in the Kurdish populated southeast Turkey in 1984. However, most would argue that the disparity and repression against Kurds led to the formation of the armed separatist movement in 1984.

Kurds, PKK, and Turkey

The Kurdish issue with respect to Turkey is a very deep and complex matter. While the majority of Turkey’s Kurds do not openly support separatism from the Turkish state, many do support the PKK, as the only force fighting for broader Kurdish cultural, economic and political rights. For many years, the Turkish government had denied the existence of a Kurdish identity. For decades, the Kurds have experienced both linguistic and cultural persecution. Due to the large number of Kurds in Turkey, successive governments have viewed the expression of a Kurdish identity as a potential threat to Turkish unity as well as its national security. Turkey operates as a democratic country when one considers its representation process in terms of voting, it does not however share the same moral values as other democracies in the world. It has taken advantage of the U.S. and EU’s “war on terror” to severely increase Turkish military activity on the Kurdish people, claiming to be wiping out terrorism.

The European Union defines terrorism as “certain criminal offenses set out in a list comprised largely of serious offenses against persons and property which as given their nature or context, may seriously damage a country or an international organization where committed with the aim of: seriously intimidating a population; or unduly compelling a Government or international organization to perform or abstain from performing any act; or seriously destabilizing or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organization.” Although there is no unanimous definition for terrorism, what the EU fails to mention is the fact that it has only applied terrorism to organizations (and not states). If we were to follow the ICC model of universal rights and added rough states to such an equations as well, we would find that Turkey’s military activity against the Kurds in Southeast Turkey and Northern Iraq can be viewed as state sponsored terrorism.

Turkey’s violation of human rights stem from the its rather archaic political system which believes that democracy could not survive in the face of “ethnic divisions”. The government should be built on the idea that everyone should be treated the same, hence, denying the Kurds minority status or rights in Turkey. The Turkish Constitution bans the formation of political parties on an ethnic basis. Several Kurdish political parties have been shut down by the Turkish Constitutional Court for links to the PKK, and some party members were imprisoned. Despite Turkey’s unwillingness to a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, the PKK has declared a ceasefire for disarmament numerous times and in 2006, the PKK signed the “Geneva Call Deed of Commitment” stating their willingness to commit a total ban on antipersonnel mines. PKK’s call for a unilateral ceasefire in the past was on the following basis: the acknowledgment of the Kurdish identity, language, culture, politics organization, freedom of thought and expression, social development, removal of Turkish forces in the Kurdistan region, as well as the gradual disarmament and legal participation into the democratic social life.

Considering PKK demands, one should note that their demands are in line with a rather just resolution of the Kurdish question through democratic means. To note further, most of their demands are in agreement with the requirements of Turkey for EU membership. However, for critics, Turkey’s reluctance to consider these demands shows they have much more a desire to continue their conflict with the PKK than to resolve it and achieve peace.

Turkish Reaction

The Turkish officials’ reaction to the EU court ruling is not surprising. In Turkey, skepticism and anger are fueling among the Turkish public concerning EU’s stance on the PKK. Turkey claims that the European court undermines anti-terror efforts. Likewise, Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Erdoğan harshly criticized the member states for assuming what he termed a non-principled and insincere approach towards the issue of terrorism, accusing certain EU members of overlooking terrorists’ activities in their countries by using the independence of the judiciary as an excuse.Nonetheless, it should be mentioned again that according to EarthTimes.org, the EU Council in Brussels stressed the listing would continue and PKK assets would remain frozen despite the European Court of First Instance ruling in Luxembourg earlier in the day. On the other hand, perhaps EU’s ruling will re-examine Turkey’s human rights violations and thus put an end to all forms of terrorism and intimidation where the international community can put pressure on Turkey as well as the PKK to rely on diplomacy and dialog vis-a-vis military forces.

6 villages were de-populated in the shelling, 4 houses were demolished, and dozens of families were moved to areas far from the border, fortunately, no casualties were reported according to private sources. A Japanese organization, the UNHCR, and the IRC opened a refugee camp to the displaced people of the areas, PUKmedia correspondent said as well.

Meanwhile, Reports from Foundation for Democracy in Iran (FDI) sources inside Iran and from northern Iraq confirmed that the Revolutionary Guards aircraft have been conducting surveillance flights inside northern Iraq this since the begginf of March in areas controlled by PJAK guerillas. September was the first time that Iranian government aircraft were known to have violated Iraqi airspace in recent years, saying the local authorities had heeded its warnings.

The shelling, in August, sent hundreds of Iraqi Kurds fleeing remote mountain villages near Iraq’s eastern frontier. Earlier this month, Iraq and Turkey pledged to take measures against PKK and PJAK rebels in northern Iraq during talks to soothe tensions following a Turkish cross-border offensive against the militants. Turkey charges that more than 2,000 PKK militants use northern Iraq as a base for their separatist campaign against Ankara and accuses Iraqi Kurds of tolerating the rebels.

Kurdistan Regional Government Coordinator of the United Nations, Dr. Dindar Zebari expressed his displeasure of Iranian artillery shelling and called on the Iraqi government to exert more efforts to stop the bombing as soon as possible. Zebari called on the United Nations agencies, humanitarian and charities organizations to support and assist civilians affected by the bombing.

Mr. Sadiq Amin Nejad, Saman Rasoulian, Abdollah Ranjbari, Kaveh Hassani, Mohammad Bahrami, Rastgar Mesgari and Mohamad Amin Ghaderi were sentenced to various imprisonment terms for participating in demonstrations against the Islamic Republic, the communiqué stated.

According to Amnesty International, hundreds more were arrested throughout Iranian Kurdistan in the cities of Mahabad, Sanandaj, Kermanshah, Orumieh, Baneh, Shino and Maku just to name a few for simply participating in peaceful protests against the government. Security forces reportedly used light and heavy weaponry in response to the demonstrations. Up to 20 people were reportedly killed and hundreds more injured. The report also mentions that hundreds of Iranian forces were sent into the cities to attack the crowds and helicopter gunships fired at the crowds causing dozens of deaths.

“They acted against National Security, disturbed general order and participated in covert meeting,” according to their verdict. The communiqué reports that the victims are condemned to one year communion jail and two years unconditional jail. They have been held under captivity since their detainment following the demonstration in April of 2005.

The protests started after Iranian Security Forces killed Sayed Kamal Astam (aka Shivan Qaderi), who was the leader of a Kurdish youth organization that organized a celebration/demonstration when Kurdish leader, Jalal Talabani, was elected President of Iraq. The purpose of the celebration was to ask the Iranian government to allow Kurds to participate in high-ranking positions in Iran and to give them federal autonomy inside Iran, similar to that of the Kurds in Northern Iraq, as the government restricts cultural and political activities that stress the Kurdish language and identity. The Iranian Forces arrested Shivan and tied him to a truck and dragged his body around the streets of Mahabad for several hours until he died as a warning to the other Kurdish rights activists. After this event, photos of Shivan’s body began circulating the internet and people began pouring into the streets of Iranian Kurdistan demanding more rights for Kurds as well as justice for Shivan’s family. Amnesty International reports that recently, family and friends of Shivan have been beaten for simply attempting to visit his gravesite.

Iranian security responded by arresting hundreds and killing dozens. To this day, many are still being held without even having gone to trial. The Iranian government has tortured many journalists and editors of Kurdish newspapers on the grounds that their coverage of events in Iraqi Kurdistan was aimed at instigating separatist ambitions among Iranian Kurds. One of which is the torture of Dr. Roya Toloyee, a Kurdish women’s rights activist and head of the Rasan (”Rising”) newspaper in the Kurdish city of Sine who was tortured and raped for 66 days for alleged involvement in the organization of peaceful protests throughout Kurdistan province before being released on bail and eventually escaping Iran. Likewise, according to a report by the Human Rights Watch, just last month a Kurdish teacher by the name of Kamangar was sentenced to death for “endangering national security.” The prosecution claimed that Kamangar is a member of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). According to Kamangar’s lawyer, this trial violated the Iranian legal requirements that such cases must be tried publicly and in the presence of a jury. He also told Human Rights Watch that court officials ridiculed his requests that they follow mandated legal procedures.

In Iran, membership of any non-governmental political party could be punishable by persecution, imprisonment and even death. Unfortunately, the oppression faced by Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan today is not a new phenomenon. The Islamic Republic has very little patience for Kurdish demands and much too often opts for crushing unrest through military means. On August 17th 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini declared holy war against the Kurds, entire villages and towns were destroyed to force Kurds into submission. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps fought to reestablish government control in the Kurdish regions, as a result more than 10,000 Kurds were killed. The Kurds are among Iran’s largest ethnic minority groups, and number around 10% of the population. They mainly live in the province of Kordistan and neighboring provinces bordering Turkey and Iraq.

For as long as anyone can remember, the Kurdish people have been abused and denied basic human rights by oppressive governments who seek to eradicate the Kurdish identity from the Middle East. Just yesterday the Syrian police shot and killed three young Kurds and wounded several others for merely celebrating Newroz, the Kurdish new year.

Mideast Youth as well as a number of Kurdish activists have started campaigning for Kurdish human rights and spreading awareness about the human rights violations of the Kurds in Kurdistan and in the diaspora as a result of decades of oppression they have faced and continue to face everyday while the international community turns the other way.

MidEast Youth is seeking to expand the project and make KurdishRights.Org a collaborative project where we Middle Easterns can all join forces against coercion, intimidation, hatred, and racism in order to shed some light upon the often forgotten brutality that the Kurds face on a daily basis by oppressive regimes.

As a Kurd myself, I believe that this site has huge potential and we expect it to be the home of Kurdish human rights advocacy, not just by Kurds but everyone who supports Kurdish rights is welcome to join us and contribute as an author.

In order to meet that goal, we need to raise at least $600 to make this website as accessible and as professional as possible, which is impossible to do without any source of funding. We need this site to be secure, as the site has survived several attacks in the past.

The Kurdish minorities all over the Middle East have suffered greatly for many decades with rarely any international or local support. This has to change, and this site will definitely contribute to this change. Now we as students and youth activists are standing up to say “enough!”

Please help us by raising this amount. If each of you donate just $10, we can reach our target sooner than expected and start working on the much-needed campaign immediately.

Please help us by donating!

To learn more on the plight of the Kurds as well as this cause, listen to an interview with Niroj.