The Iranian government’s violent crackdown against protestors has been intense in many cities across the country and in recent days, it has escalated in the Kurdish region known as Rojhilat in Kurdish.
Iranian security forces have killed at least three Kurdish civilians and wounded 113 more during Wednesday’s protest in the Kurdish cities, Human rights watchdog Hengaw organisation reported.
According to Hengaw, during Wednesday’s protests, at least three young Kurdish men named Sina Naderi, 22 years old, Armin Sayadi, 18 years old, and Kamal Faqih, were killed as a result of direct fire by security forces in the Kurdish-majority city of Kermanshah (Kirmashan) and Bukan (Bokan).
Human rights groups expressed alarm at the bloody crackdown on protests in a Kurdish-populated cities in western Iran and have warned that the death toll might be much higher because the authorities have disrupted local internet and mobile networks.
Head of Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, called on the international community to immediately take urgent action to prevent further killing in the Kurdistan and especially Sanandaj (Sine) province.
The bloody crackdown on protesters came after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday accused the United States and Israel of fuelling the anti-government protests and called on the authorities to deal with the protests, which he described as “street riots”.
At least 201 people, including 23 children, have been killed by security forces since the protests erupted on 16 September in response to the death of 22 year old Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini, according to Iran Human Rights.
During the past week’s protests, many universities and schools across the country have also participated in the demonstrations while the security forces have violently cracked down on the protests and arrested numerous pupils in the streets and schools.
The Kurdish cities, including Kermanshah (Kirmashan), Saqqez (Seqiz), Bukan (Bokan) and Mahabad (Mehabad), are all on strike in support of the people of Sanandaj (Sine) to protest against the disproportionate crimes that the Islamic Republic of Iran is committing against Kurdish people.
Over the past four weeks, demonstrations have continued throughout Iran, with university and school students leading the protests.
Recently, more than 1,000 petrochemical workers from a state-owned plant in the southeast city of Asulyeh, Bushehr province, downed tools and also joined the protests.
