PDKI Representative Highlighted Iran’s Human Rights Violations in Geneva
Forced disappearances in Iran was discussed at a side event of the 36th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on September 20.
PDKI’s representative in Geneva Baban Eliassi spoke at the event. Eliassi highlighted Iran’s systematic violations of the human rights of national minorities in Iran.
The event was organized by the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NPRTT) in cooperation with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).
A number of organizations representing different nations in Iran — Kurds, Ahwazi Arabs, Azerbaijani Turks and Baluchies — are members in UNPO.
UNPO was established at the initiative of Dalai Lama in 1991 to give voice to the people and nations who lack representation in the UN.
Fernando Burges, program manager of UNPO, were present at the event and provided information about the work that his organization is doing in the European Parliament to give voice to the national minorities in Iran.
Baban Eliassi, PDKI’s representative, highlighted the systematic violation of the Kurdish people’s human rights by the Iranian regime.
He reminded of Aythollah Khomeini’s declaration of “holy war” (jihad) against the Kurdish people following the 1979 revolution and the systematic oppression of the Kurdish people since then. Eliassi also shed light on Iran’s assassination of Kurdish leaders on European soil and the killing of Kurdish civilians who, due to unemployment and poverty, carry goods on their back (known as Kolbar in Kurdish) from southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan to eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan.
Mona Silavi from Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz discussed forced disappearances in Ahwaz, the Arab region of Iran. She said Iran’s intelligence agencies and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps are involved in these cases of forced disappearances and also mentioned that the Iranian regime has been delaying the country visit of the UN Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Disappearance (WGEID). The Islamic Republic has so far refused to declare the fate of 520 reported victims.
Peshko Khosravi, representative of Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, highlighted the case of Ramin Hossein Panahi who was injured by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards earlier in the summer. His whereabouts are currently not known. Khosravi also informed that 20 members of Panahi’s family and relatives have been arrested since then.