Kurdish parties accuse Iran of crimes against humanity in protest crackdown
Shafaq News- Tehran
Seven Kurdish political parties from Eastern Kurdistan, led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (PDKI), accused Iran’s authorities of committing crimes against humanity during the ongoing nationwide protest crackdown, urging the United Nations Human Rights Council, leading international powers, and global rights organizations to take urgent action.
In a joint statement, the parties condemned what they described as the regime’s violent suppression of protests across Iran, citing the killing of women and children, mass arrests, and the injury and blinding of thousands of demonstrators. They also accused authorities of trying to conceal abuses by shutting down the internet and severely restricting communication with the outside world.
The statement placed particular focus on Iranian Kurdistan, saying the region has been subjected to a heavy military presence and the use of lethal force against protesters. It described serious human rights violations, including preventing families from burying victims in their hometowns, demanding large sums of money in exchange for the return of bodies, and creating a climate of fear that discourages the wounded from seeking medical treatment.
Despite the repression, the parties said resistance remains strong, pointing to continued demonstrations and a recent general strike across Iranian Kurdistan as evidence of sustained public defiance.
Warning of an imminent risk of further massacres, the statement said diplomatic engagement with Tehran has failed to curb abuses and called on the international community to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to support the people of Iran and their right to self-determination, freedom, and a dignified life.
The letter was signed by multiple Kurdish political groups, including the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Khabat Organization of Kurdistan of Iran, the Komala Party of Kurdistan of Iran, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, among others.
Protests in Iran erupted on December 28 after the rial collapsed to a record low of about 1.45 million to the US dollar, driving sharp increases in food prices and inflation before spreading nationwide. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said at least 2,571 people have been killed so far, including 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, 12 minors, and nine civilians not involved in demonstrations. Iranian officials have acknowledged an overall death toll of around 2,000.
