Australian Senator Thorpe Raises Concerns Over Kurdish Persecution

In a statement to the Australian Senate, Senator Lidia Thorpe said that she had recently heard from members of the Kurdish community about the persecution and violence that Kurdish people are facing in Iran and elsewhere. She expressed concern about displacement, surveillance, fear and the suppression of the Kurdish language and culture.

Senator Thorpe referred specifically to two Kurdish brothers who were activists involved in establishing a library and programs for teaching the Kurdish language. According to the information she received, the brothers participated in protests against the Iranian regime and were subsequently persecuted by security forces, forcing them into hiding. She stated that in May 2026, the brothers were killed after IRGC forces surrounded their home and opened fire. She also noted that their families continue to face surveillance and financial hardship.

In another part of the statement, Senator Thorpe stated that she had raised with Minister Burke the need for clearer humanitarian pathways for people facing persecution and fleeing danger, including Kurdish people. Drawing on the experience of First Peoples in Australia, she emphasised the importance of culture, language and self-determination and expressed solidarity with peoples continuing to seek freedom, dignity and the right to live without fear.

The statement followed a meeting held some time earlier between representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran in Australia and Senator Thorpe. During that meeting, the representatives discussed the situation of the Kurdish people more broadly, with particular emphasis on the crimes and persecution committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran against  Kurds.