Kurdish people in Iran celebrated Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, in masses on Thursday with slogans such as “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedom) and “As long as there’s a Kurd, Kurdistan will remain”, despite threats from the authorities, arrests of civil activists and restrictions.
The Newroz celebrations were marred by violence and arrests in various regions of Iranian Kurdistan, known as Rojhilat.
In Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province, the celebrations took a violent turn after security forces intervened during Newroz celebrations in the Faizabad neighbourhood on Wednesday. Hengaw, a human rights organisation focusing on Kurdish issues, reported that many people were arrested in the chaos, casting a shadow over the celebrations.
At the same time, in Gilan-e Gharb, a district in Kermanshah province, security forces arrested Lutfollah Parwiz, a civil activist and one of the coordinators of the Newroz celebrations, during a raid on his home on the eve of Newroz. The confiscation of Parwiz’s mobile phone and the search of his home were seen as part of efforts to suppress the celebrations planned for Thursday in the region.
Hengaw also reported that more than 10 people, including singers and activists, have been summoned and threatened by Iranian security forces. Some have been pressured to announce the cancellation of the ceremony on social media. A ban on Newroz celebrations was also announced by the governor of Gilan-e Gharb.
Despite the obstacles put in place by the authorities, including the ban and arrests of civil activists, a significant number of participants gathered for the Newroz ceremony in Gilan-e Gharb, wearing traditional Kurdish dress.
This act of resistance was mirrored in Marivan and other parts of Rojhilat, where participants chanted slogans for freedom and the preservation of Kurdish identity.