According to recent reports from Rudaw, Kurdish families and activists in Iran are facing severe legal challenges, with multiple individuals sentenced to death or imprisoned on charges related to national security. The crackdown targets political activists and cultural figures, particularly those involved in Kurdish language education.
Death Sentences Contested by Two Kurdish Families
Two Kurdish families from western Iran are fighting death sentences handed to their loved ones. Pejman Soltani, 32, from Bukan, and Hamid Hoseinnezhad Heidaranlou, 40, from Segrik village in Chaldoran, have been sentenced to death by courts in Urmia, as reported by the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization.
Heidaranlou was convicted of "baghi" (armed rebellion) for alleged membership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). According to Hengaw, he has been transferred to solitary confinement ahead of his scheduled execution, placing him at imminent risk. Iran's state-owned Fars News Agency aired a documentary featuring his alleged confessions about involvement in killing eight border guards - confessions widely believed to be coerced under duress.
Heidaranlou's family has contested these allegations, with his daughter claiming security forces pressured them to link him to the incident falsely. Hengaw obtained passport evidence showing Heidaranlou was outside the country during the alleged operation, contradicting official claims.
Meanwhile, Soltani was arrested during the "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" (Woman, Life, Freedom) protests that erupted following the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in police custody in September 2022. He was convicted of "premeditated murder" of a Basij paramilitary member. His mother told Rudaw that the victim's family has agreed to waive execution in exchange for five billion tomans (approximately $60,000), as permitted under Iranian law.
Kurdish Teacher Imprisoned for "Threatening National Security"
In a related development, Kurdish language teacher Serveh Pourmohammadi began serving a five-year prison sentence on Saturday for allegedly "forming a group with the intent to disrupt national security." Pourmohammadi, an active member of the Nojin Cultural Association that teaches Kurdish language and literature, was transferred to Sanandaj Central Prison's women's ward.
Initially arrested in January 2023 at the Sanandaj courthouse while supporting fellow association members, she was sentenced to ten years in prison before the term was reduced to five years. This follows a pattern of targeting Kurdish language instructors - Zara Mohammadi, another teacher, and Nojin co-founder, previously served time on similar charges.
In February, Iran's Parliament rejected legislation that would have allowed teaching ethnic languages in schools, despite Article 15 of Iran's 1979 Constitution permitting "the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media, as well as for teaching of their literature in schools."
According to Hengaw, Iran executed an estimated 909 people in 2024, with Kurds constituting 20 percent of executions despite being a minority population. Human rights organizations continue to criticize Tehran's disproportionate use of capital punishment against minority groups and political dissidents.