Iran

In view of the ongoing escalation between Israel and Iran, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is deeply concerned about the growing danger of new attacks by the Mullah regime against the Kurdish people in the west of the country and against the Iranian opposition. “The regime has reinforced its troops in the predominantly Kurdish areas, particularly along the border with Iraqi Kurdistan. In many places, there are now checkpoints manned by the Revolutionary Guards and the army – between Kurdish settlement areas, but also within the villages. The Iranian regime is using them to take action against Kurdish people and members of the opposition,” reported Dr. Kamal Sido, the STP’s Middle East consultant, in Göttingen today. The regime fears that the Kurds could now intensify their long-standing struggle for democracy and self-determination.

According to information provided by the STP’s partner organization “Hangaw”, at least 150 indictments have been reported nationwide. The charges range from “espionage for Israel” and “disturbing public opinion” to “media support for Israel”, “fomenting unrest” to “security cooperation with the enemy”, “possession of explosives or drones”, and “insulting the martyrs”. Apparently, this affects people in the provinces and cities of Ardabil, Baneh, Fashafouyeh, Golestan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Isfahan, Kerman, Lali, Lorestan, Mazandaran, Savojbolagh, Semnan, Shahrekord, and in the capital, Tehran.

With regard to the calls from Western NATO countries for a military intervention to overthrow the regime, the STP urges caution. “The Iranian people have long wished for the abolition of the dictatorship – but they are also afraid of chaos, a long civil war, and the replacement of the Mullah regime by another dictatorship. In order to support democratic change, Western states should support democratic opposition groups and minorities such as the Kurds in Iran. So far, military interventions without a clear concept regarding democratization and the creation of federal structures have not led to more freedom for the people – neither in Afghanistan nor in Syria,” the human rights activist warned. “It is important that the opposition has a clear and realistic concept for the period after the Mullah regime, in order to counteract fears and insecurity among the people.

According to the Middle East expert, the NATO governments should put pressure on their partner Turkey, which – as in the case of Syria, Ukraine, and the Israel-Arab conflict – is trying to assert its own interests. “Many Kurds assume that Turkey is pursuing the same goals in Iran as in Syria: to prevent the Kurds from achieving autonomy. Turkey has publicly condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran, but is also making plans for a military intervention,” the Middle East expert is convinced. “Turkey must be prevented from waging a war in Iran – using radical forces – against the Kurdish population. Such intervention would only prolong the life of the regime in Iran and stir up hatred and hostility among the people and the different population groups in Iran,” Sido emphasized.

At least 11 million of the 90 million people living in Iran are Kurds. They constitute the majority not only in the province of Kurdistan, but also in some of the other provinces in the west of the country. They describe their homeland as “East Turkestan”. There is great mistrust of the Shiite Mullah regime, which has ruled since the fall of the Shah. “The Mullahs had promised democracy and autonomy to the Kurdish people and to other ethnic groups – but they did not keep their promise. Democracy and federalism therefore remain the key demands of the Kurdish people in Iran. The Kurds are organized in a several parties and have their own armed groups.