Statement on the 35th Anniversary of the Assassination of Dr. A. R. Ghassemlou
On July 13, 2024, it will be 35 years since terrorist-cum-diplomats from the Islamic Republic of Iran assassinated Dr. Abdulrahman Ghassemlou, the former Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), Abdullah Qaderi Azar, a member of the PDKI Central Committee, and Dr. Fazel Rasoul, a friend of Dr. Ghassemlou and the PDKI, during negotiations in Vienna.
The state terrorism of the Islamic Republic of Iran against Dr. Ghassemlou is one of the events that the PDKI and the people of Kurdistan will never forget. In this regard, we can point out several reasons why the legacy and memory of this great leader remains alive and why our party and the people of Kurdistan commemorate him frequently, especially on July 13.
The first reason lies in the significant impact of Dr. Ghassemlou’s role in preserving and reviving the PDKI. In the early 1970s, Dr. Ghassemlou, with the collaboration of several comrades, not only prevented the dissolution of the PDKI, but also developed it ideologically, politically and organizationally into an independent party with its own program, prestige and unique approach. After the victory of the revolution of the peoples of Iran against the monarchy, the party gained the credibility and capacity to uphold the legacy of the Republic of Kurdistan and to lead the armed uprising of 1967-1968 as well as more than three decades of struggle during the dictatorship of the Shah’s regime.
The second reason for the enduring memory of Dr. Ghassemlou among the Kurdish nation and the freedom-seekers of Iran is the role he played in leading the PDKI after the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Eastern Kurdistan under the new regime did not submit to the threats and deceptions of the new ruling clique led by Khomeini, nor did it fall for their empty promises and assurances. Instead, it insisted on its national and democratic demands before the authorities in Tehran and stood firm in its demands. Despite Khomeini’s religious and political dominance at that time, which led tens of millions of Iranians and numerous organizations and political figures to rally around his anti-American rhetoric, and Tehran’s threats and military attacks on Kurdistan, the people of Kurdistan were not intimidated and continued to pursue their rights. Although Dr. Ghassemlou and his party made great efforts to discuss Kurdish demands with the new regime through peaceful means, they were not willing to submit to the dictatorship of the new regime. They chose the path of resistance and struggle to secure the rights and freedoms of the Kurdish people and other oppressed peoples in Iran.
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan’s rejection of the new dictatorship was not only based on its farsighted political outlook, but also on the deep understanding and collective will of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish people had a long history of struggle against the Pahlavi dictatorship and fighting for their national rights, and they had participated and sacrificed in the widespread uprisings of 1978. In this historical period, Dr. Ghassemlou and his party played an important role in organizing the resistance of the Kurdish people against the military invasion of the new regime and emphasized the national and democratic core of the Kurdish people’s struggle. While insisting on the national rights of Kurds and other nationalities in Iran, Dr. Ghaseemlou advocated a democratic system and freedoms for all citizens. He strongly opposed any form of dictatorship and supported political pluralism, advocating a multi-party and diverse political landscape.
The third reason why Dr. Ghassemlou continues to be revered by the Kurdish nation and the freedom-seekers of Iran is his realistic perspective on the coexistence of different groups within Iran and the cooperation of Kurdish movements in the divided parts of Kurdistan. Dr. Ghassemlou opposed any ideology that viewed Iran as belonging to only one nation and one religion, and dividing the people into first-, second-, and third-class citizens. Unlike the officials, ideologues, and so-called intellectuals of both the Shah’s regime and the Islamic Republic of Iran, he believed that recognizing and respecting the diversity of the country’s people was crucial to Iran’s integrity and continued coexistence. Conversely, he viewed dictatorship, the imposition of a centralized system, the non-distribution of power, the exclusion of non-Persian nations from governance, and ethnic, linguistic, religious, and racial discrimination as threats to the unity and harmony of the country. Dr. Ghassemlou’s perspective on the realities of Iranian and Kurdish identity ensured that neither overshadowed the other. In international forums and in interviews with state officials, political parties, organizations, and the media, he skillfully defended the legitimate cause of his divided nation while emphasizing the need for international support for progressive movements and the legitimate struggles of different classes within Iran.
One of Dr. Ghassemlou’s remarkable characteristics was his commitment to different forms of struggle. While he was a pacifist and never abandoned any peaceful efforts to resolve the Kurdish issue, he recognized the necessity of armed resistance by the Peshmerga to defend the nation against the aggressions of the Iranian Islamic regime. At the same time, he did not neglect other forms of struggle inside Iran. He recognized the importance of workers’ protests against the exploitative practices of government institutions and employers, the resistance of the youth against the lifestyle imposed by the regime, the resistance of artists and writers against cultural conservatism, and their efforts to promote progressive art and literature. One of the forms of struggle that Dr. Ghassemlou specifically mentioned and considered important was the refusal of Iranian women to wear the compulsory hijab and their resistance to the laws and pressures of the regime. This stand for women’s rights against the misogynistic and regressive policies of the Islamic Republic recently sparked the largest mass uprising in Kurdistan and throughout Iran under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom”. The chant “Ghassemlou, Ghassemlou, your path continues” echoed in rallies and demonstrations throughout Eastern Kurdistan, underscoring the enduring relevance and modernity of his ideas and beliefs and their alignment with the spirit of the current generation.
On the 35th anniversary of the assassination of the esteemed leader Dr. Ghassemlou and his comrades, it is appropriate to review Austria’s behavior and decisions regarding this tragic event. At the time of the assassination, the Austrian government chose to secretly and shamefully return the terrorists to Tehran instead of launching an investigation, seeking justice and punishing those responsible. Since then, Austria has stubbornly closed the door on reopening the case of Dr. Ghassemlou’s assassination. Had Austria, like Germany, not sent the terrorists back to Tehran and allowed its judicial system to investigate this terrorism, at least a judicial process would have been conducted and the leaders of the Tehran regime, as the main perpetrators of this crime, would have been more clearly identified to the world. As seen in the case of the Mykonos trial, where terrorists were prosecuted and the top leaders of the Tehran regime were identified as the source of this terrorism, the subsequent unified decision by the members of the European Union to recall their ambassadors from Tehran forced the regime to refrain from committing terrorist acts in the member countries of the Union for a long period of time.
On this occasion, we remind the Western countries that the peoples of Iran demand the overthrow of the terrorist regime in Iran and call for the designation of the Revolutionary Guards as terrorists and the establishment of international measures to investigate and hold the regime’s leaders and senior officials accountable for their acts of terrorism and genocide. The peoples of Iran have made their choice by bravely sacrificing their best sons and daughters to end a regime that has turned Iran into a hell and poses a serious threat to peace and security in the Middle East and other parts of the world. They expect Western nations to take a stronger stand against this terrorist and destabilizing regime and to actively support their struggle to dismantle this dictatorship.
On the 35th anniversary of the assassination of our esteemed leader Dr. Ghassemlou, we honor his contributions to the PDKI and the Kurdish national and democratic movement. We are proud of his ideas and beliefs and use them as a guideline for our struggle. We renew our commitment to continue the struggle for the goals for which he sacrificed his life.
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI)
The Executive Center
July 13, 2024