1. Iran reports death of a Revolutionary Guards commander in
Kurdish area
The Washington Post reported, an Iranian semi-official news agency is reporting that a
commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guards has been killed in the country’s Kurdish
northwest.
The Sunday report by Fars quotes a statement by the Guards as saying Gen. Hamid
Tabatabaei was killed during an engineering assignment.
It was the third reported killing of a ranking officer in the area, home to mostly people of
the Kurdish people. Members of the Guards have in the past fought Kurdish opposition
groups in the area.
In recent years the Guards have attacked several bases of the armed Kurdish group
known as the PJAK (Free Life Party of Kurdistan), which has been occasionally involved in
armed clashes with Iranian forces. The PJAK says they are fighting for greater rights for
Kurds and other oppressed minorities in Iran. http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5181
2. Öcalan: This visit is a historic step
ANF, ISTANBUL – Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies Sirri Süreyya Önder,
Pervin Buldan and Altan Tan have returned from Imrali Island where they have visited the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan on Saturday.
Making a short statement after the visit, BDP group deputy chair Pervin Buldan quoted the
Kurdish leader saying the followings; “This visit is a historic step and all sides must act
carefully and sensitively in this ongoing process.
The state has PKK prisoners, so does the PKK have civilian prisoners. PKK should treat
the prisoners well and I hope they will come together with their families soon”.
Buldan said that BDP co-chairs will make a detailed statement on the visit in the following
days. Firat News Agency (en.firatajans.com) http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5177
3. Kurdish Political Prisoners Under Intense Pressure to
“Cooperate” at Orumiyeh Prison
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran – Two female Kurdish political prisoners
at Orumiyeh Prison have faced repeated summonses to the Prison Intelligence Unit this
year, a local human rights activist told the International Campaign for Human Rights in
Iran. Interrogators have pressured the women to provide televised confessions and to
cooperate with the Intelligence Ministry, the activist added.
Syrian citizen Evin Molood Sheikhoo, 28, and Turkish citizen Ghedisseh Ghaderi, 25, are
each serving seven-year sentences on charges of “cooperation with the Kurdish group
PKK.” According to the local human rights activist, Intelligence Office interrogators
routinely summon the two women to the Orumiyeh Prison Intelligence Unit or to the
Women’s Ward Social Worker’s office, interrogate them about their prior cooperation with
Kurdish groups, and pressure them to cooperate with the Intelligence Ministry to identify
PKK organizers and supporters in the border region. The interrogations are reportedly
accompanied by disrespect and threats of new judicial cases against the two women.
“Evin Molood Sheikhoo, a Syrian Kurd from Afrain in Syria’s Kurdistan, was arrested in
Orumiyeh in February of 2009 by [Iranian] Intelligence Office forces. She was kept in the
Intelligence Office’s Information Unit Detention Center for three months under
interrogation, psychological torture, and even physical beatings. After that she was
transferred to the Orumiyeh Central Prison’s Women’s Ward, and— without access to a
lawyer—the Orumiyeh Revolutionary Court sentenced her to seven years in prison. After
she appealed the ruling, the case was forwarded to the Western Azarbaijan Province
Appeals Court and was upheld in full,” the local activist told the Campaign.
“Ghedisseh Ghaderi . . . is a Turkish Kurd from Van in the Kurdistan region of Turkey. She
was arrested in the spring of 2011 in Orumiyeh and was held inside the [Iranian]
Information Unit Detention Center for more than two months. The Intelligence Office
interrogators subjected her to psychological and physical torture in order to force her to
confess, to the point where after transferring her to Orumiyeh Prison she was unable to eat
food or move for two weeks. The Orumiyeh Revolutionary Court later sentenced the
political prisoner to 10 years in prison on charges of ‘cooperation with PKK,’ and after she
appealed the decision, the Appeals Court reduced her prison sentence to seven years,”
the human rights activist told the Campaign.
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (www.iranhumanrights.org)
http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5173
4. One Kurdish Kolber Injured by Iranian Security Forces
NEWROZ TV — Last week Iranian security forces shot at a group of Kurdish Kolbers
(people who carry goods across the border on their back) and tradesmen in a border area
around the city of Serdesht in Eastern Kurdistan and injured one Kurdish Kolber.
According to Firat News Agency, Iranian armed forces in the border areas of Serdesht,
ambushed and shot at a group of Kurdish Kolbers. As the result, Ibrahim Kadol, 32-year
old was severely injured. He then was transferred to a hospital in the city of Serdesht
under guarding by Iranian security forces.
According to this report, Iranian security forces also killed at least 15 mules of this group.
Despite numerous condemnations by regional and international human rights
organizations Iranian security forces still continue killings of innocent Kurds in border areas
of Eastern Kurdistan. NEWROZ TV http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5170
5. 12 Journalists Arrested in Ilam, Eastern Kurdistan
NEWROZ TV — After massive arrests of journalists in Tehran in which Tehran prosecutor
described them as mouthpiece of enemy on the last month, another wave of arrests of
journalists has taken place in Ilam, on February 18. This time Iranian regime arrested 12
journalists in the province of Ilam in Eastern Kurdistan.
While the condemnations are continuing regarding the arrest of 14 journalists in Tehran by
Iranian government, according to the sources, 12 local journalists that they were working
in publications of Wriya, Koshk and Ncwa, were arrested on February 18 by intelligence
forces of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
According to the Radio France, Campaign For the Families of Political Prisoners
announced the names of several of the arrested journalists in Ilam as; Ihsan Nik Pey,
Nesrin Bawend Pur, Kameran Mohemmed Rehimi, Mohsin Cheragi and Rehmet Chergi.
They have been held incommunicado at an undisclosed location ever since.
NEWROZ TV http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5168
6. KCK (Union of Communities in Kurdistan): Language
Constitute a Nation
NEWROZ TV — February 21 is the International Mother Language Day. Mzgin Agit one of
the members of Committee for Language and Education of Kurdish Communities Union
issued a statement in this relation.
Mizgin Agit in his statement says: “our language is our existence; our language is our life
and our body. Without language there is no nation. Therefore indeed the language
constitute nation, dignity, existence, society, humanity and people. Nations would be
recognized by their language. There is no doubt that many nations around the world are in
danger of decline and disappearance”.
Agit with citing that there have been considerable efforts in saving Kurdish language
emphasized that:” it is necessary that we defend effectively our language in the day of the
International Mother Language until our right to education in mother language would be
recognized as our natural right in constitutional law.”
The member of Committee for Language and Education of Kurdish Communities Union in
the statement with pointing to the policies of assimilation of occupiers in Kurdistan states:
“our nation resisted these policies of assimilations, but this is not enough. We must use
Kurdish language in all dimensions of life.” NEWROZ TV http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5158
7. West Kurdistan: The Town of Chelaxa Liberated by YPG
NEWROZ TV — Another area liberated by People´s Defence Units in Western Kurdistan.
After liberating many strategic and crucial regions and cities of Western Kurdistan, People
´s Defence Units (YPG) on February 21 liberated Chelaxa a town, around Girkê Legê,
from the hands of Syrian regime.
Hundreds of Kurdish forces surrounded the government buildings and locations in the
town of Chelaxa in Western Kurdistan and drove the government forces out.
In this town, YPG forces captured the government buildings including: municipality
building, post office, health center, Agricultural Bank and several other offices.
According to the local sources, people of the town including Kurds and Arabs were
cheerful of the liberation of this town by YPG. NEWROZ TV http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5155
8. International Mother Tongue Day celebrated in Turkey
ANF, Istanbul – Thousands of people took to the streets on Thursday to mark the
International Mother Tongue Day which has been celebrated in Turkey with torch marches,
press conferences and concerts across the country under the leadership of KURDÎ-DER
(Kurdish Language Research and Development Union) and Egitim Sen.
People voiced their demands for the recognition of the right to mother language, carrying
banners written in all languages of the peoples living in Turkey. “Mother tongue is the door
to heart” was the mainly emphasized slogan in activities across the country.
Istanbul, Ankara, Diyarbakir, Van, Adiyaman and Agri were the main centers of the
activities which were also joined by members of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP)
and a number of unions including Human Rights Association (IHD), KESK, TTB, SES,
MEYA-DER, DISK, MADAY-DER, TUYAD-DER.
Releasing a written statement on International Mother Tongue Day, BDP said the Turkish
Republic has been committing a crime against humanity by imposing a traditional ban and
restriction on Kurdish and other mother languages in the country since its establishment.
BDP called for constitutional assurance for the use of mother languages in all areas and
demanded an end to the mentality of one nation, one language and one culture.
On the other hand, BDP Group deputy chair Idris Baluken asked on Thursday for a
Parliamentary Inquiry in order to determine the measures to be taken for the protection
and improvement of all languages spoken in Turkey. Firat News Agency (en.firatajans.com)
http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5141
9. Kurdish taught in Western Kurdistan
ANF, News Desk – Despite immense difficulties and threats from the regime, the Kurdish
language institution (Saziya Zimanê Kurdî) introduced education in the Kurdish language
in the cities of Rimelan and Girkê Legê. Similar steps have been taken in a number of
cities, radically changing the Syrian educational system, most notably in the city of Efrîn
were 200 teachers of the Kurdish language were graduated. Western Kurdistan is slowly
seeing the Kurdish language being incorporated in the public school system, making it a
part of the curriculum.
UN panel investigation on war crimes in Syria states that war crimes are carried out by
both government forces as well as by armed rebels. The independent investigation led by
Paulo Pinheiro (renowned Brazilian diplomat and legal scholar) has called on the UN
Security Council to refer the violators to the International Criminal Court.
Firat News Agency (en.firatajans.com) http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5136
10. Agreement in Serêkaniyê between YPG and FSA
ANF, SERÊKANIYÊ — An agreement has been reached between Kurdish Supreme
Council and FSA in regard to Serêkaniyê, which includes:
– all foreign fighters will leave the area;
– there will be joint checkpoints of FSA and YPG;
– there will be a joint local council in the area of Sere Kaniye, based on consensus;
– the local council will take care of the border crossing with Turkey in Sere Kaniye
– it will be easier for local forces, people and goods to move between checkpoints;
– later on, a joint police force will be created;
– FSA and YPG will work together where the area has not yet been liberated from
the regime. Firant News Agency http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5132
