IRAN: Anger and protests follow executions of Kurds on terrorism charges

Reports have surfaced of renewed unrest in parts of Iran and protests at Tehran University after Sunday's execution of four Iranian Kurds, including a woman, and another Iranian activist for alleged terrorist activities.

Media reports said Iranian Kurds were planning protests in anger over the executions and the declaration of martial law in the cities of Mahabad and Sanandaj, which have predominantly Kurdish populations.

According to the independent Kurdish news website Aweenah, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani had made a secret visit to Tehran early Sunday in a last-minute bid to stop the executions.The website said Talabani, a Kurd, had been scheduled to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to ask him to intervene in the case and put the executions on hold.

But the executions went ahead, and Farzad Kamangar, Ali Haydarian, Farhad Vakili, Shirin Alam-Houli and Mehdi Eslamian were hanged after their convictions on various charges, including terrorism and waging war against God, according to Iranian state media.

Four were ethnic Kurds and members of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PEJAK), an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Kurdish activists insist that none of the four were involved in terrorist activities, and the executions have drawn condemnation and criticism from human rights groups.

"A regime which relates earthquakes to the way women dress has no credibility when it tries to link civilian activists to bombings," Kaweh Ahangari of the Kurdish Democratic Party was quoted as saying by the Guardian newspaper.

The Iranian rights watchdog Human Rights Iran claimed the defendants were sentenced under dubious circumstances and that they suffered maltreatment while in detainment.

"None of the five executed today had fair trials and they had been subjected to torture while in the prison,"  Iran Human Rights spokesperson Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said in a statement.

Meanwhile, scores of video tributes to the five, such as the clip below, have emerged on the Internet.

The hangings were viewed by some as an attempt by the Iranian authorities to intimidate opposition activists and deter them from answering the calls of Iran's main opposition leaders, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi for protests on June 12, the anniversary of last year's disputed presidential election.

Still, a day after the executions, protests erupted at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University during a surprise visit by Ahmadinejad. The opposition website Jaras said 1,000 students turned up for the rally against the Iranian president.

It was unclear whether the executions partly provoked the protests, but opposition leaders and activists have been trying to reach out to the country's restive Kurdish minority.

Videos said to be from the demonstrations show crowds of young men and women chanting anti-government slogans and "azadi," or freedom. 

No major clashes between protesters and police appear to have taken place during the demonstration, but clips such as the one below suggest the protest turned a bit chaotic at times.

After the executions, protests reportedly also broke out outside the Iranian Embassy in Paris and in Germany as well as other countries.

-- Alexandra Sandels and Becky Lee Katz in Beirut

Photos: Farzad Kamangar, Ali Haydarian and Shirin Alam-Houli (left to right) were three of the Iranian Kurds executed Sunday. Credit: Iran Human Rights website

Videos: Scenes of protest at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University on Monday. Credit: YouTube

Comments

[Karim Kamali]

this is a very foolish act by authorities. Kurds are courageous people. The government who committed this act are pushing it to the limits. The revolt for a free Iran with undoubtably start from Kordestan, Iran. Just wait and see. Sanandaj is alive and more awake than ever.

Karim Kamali
Golestan, Iran
Ordibehesht 12, 1389

[kanank]

Yes, that is the way things are in Iran. death sentence for drug use and terrorism. Not knowing the details about the people who were executed, it is hard to say. It is also important to realize that kurds shouldn't practice hypocrisy. On one hand, they are supporting the killing of civilians in Turkey in the name of fighting for their rights and on the other hand complain about Iran. THey need to be consistent on universal values. It seems every ethnic group and religion practice double standard everywhere.

[Kevin]

axis of evil

[lipservice]

AFTER IRAQ WITH NEVER-BEEN-FOUND WMD, IT IS CLEAR BY NOW US ANTI IRAN TIRADE � RHETORIC DOUBLE STANDARD IS ONLY ON BEHALF OF UNBREAKABLE BOND ISRAEL, NOT THE NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY OR THE WORLD, TO MAKE SURE THAT ISRAEL IS THE SOLE NUKES POSSESSOR IN MIDEAST. HISTORY PROVES ITSELF.

THERE IS NO SINGLE CREDITABLE EVIDENCE THAT IRAN FLOUTS THE NPT RULES OR DEVELOPES NUKES AND NO CREDIABLE CONFIDENCE. AS A RESULT, IMPARTIAL JURY WILL DEADLOCK, NO CONSPIRACY SANCTION !

IF IT IS ABOUT IRAN AND NON PROLIFERATION TREATY THEN WHY DOES ISRAEL PUSH US FOR IRAN’S SANCTION, BOYCOTT IRAN OR WILL ATTACK IRAN WHILE ISRAEL ITSELF IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE TREATY ? ISRAEL HAS THREATENED TO SEND SYRIA BACK TO STONE AGE THEN SHOULD SYRIA STRIKE ISRAEL FIRST ? THE WHOLE THING IS NONSENSE THATS WHY US IS INCONSISTENT, DOUBLE STANDARD, NOT TRUSTWORTHY.

CHAPTER VII OF THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER ARTICLE 51 PROVIDES FOR THE RIGHT OF COUNTRIES TO ENGAGE IN MILITARY ACTION IN SELF DEFENSE, INCLUDING COLLECTIVE SELF DEFENSE FOR IRAN.

IRAN HAS HAD UNBREAKABLE BOND WITH ITS NEIGHBORS PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN, TURKEY AND IRAQ FOR HUNDREDS YEARS BY HISTORY AND CULTURE.

[Sirwan]

Thanks for this update but please stop repeating the following line because:
"Four were ethnic Kurds and members of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PEJAK), an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)."

This is not accurate. Khalil Bahramian, Lawyer for Farzad Kamangar and two other accused, maintains that Farzad was "100 per cent innocent" of the charges he was accused of. I really appreciate if you could add a line saying the memberships of PIJAK and PKK is what the Iranian government claims.

Amnesty has issued a report today regarding the executions and here is the link
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/iran-executes-five-political-prisoners-2010-05-11

[Rawa Ahmed Raza]

It's very obvious that none of the prisoners had a fair trial.The cousin of Shirin Alam-Houli told the Kurdish News Network" that even the lawer of the victims were not informed of the executtions and that the lawers heared of it from the international media.Iran is not governed by law,the Ayatollah can order the murder of any one he wishes,this incident is designed to crush the soul of this Kurdish generation that seek's the freedom of the Kurds and Kurdistan from the tyranny of the terror state.