On Saturday, 29 August 2026, the first day of the 21st General Assembly of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) took place in The Hague, the Netherlands, with the participation of a delegation from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI). Sofia Amini, the PDKI and Iranian Kurdistan representative to UNPO, and Kani Jihangery, the party\u2019s representative to France, took part in the General Assembly.<\/p>\n
On the first day of the General Assembly, following the presentation of the Presidency\u2019s report and the Secretary-General\u2019s report, a number of issues were discussed. Representatives of UNPO member nations and peoples were also given an opportunity to speak about the challenges, injustices, and oppression facing their peoples and communities.<\/p>\n
During the General Assembly, Sofia Amini, the Iranian Kurdistan representative to the UNPO, delivered a speech on behalf of the PDKI addressing the human rights situation in Iranian Kurdistan and the systematic discrimination and repression faced by the Kurdish people under the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n
PDKI representative began by recalling the killing of Jina Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman from the city of Saqqez, by Iran\u2019s so-called \u201cmorality\u201d police in 2022. She noted that Jina\u2019s death sparked the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi ( \u00a0Woman, Life, Freedom – \u00a0movement), but emphasised that the systematic discrimination and repression of Kurds, Balochs, Ahwazi Arabs, Azerbaijani Turks, and Turkmen in Iran long predated Jina\u2019s death. She argued that this repression is deeply rooted in a \u201cone nation, one identity, one state\u201d policy based on Persian nationalism – \u00a0an ideology that seeks to marginalise and erase the diverse identities of Iran\u2019s multiethnic population.<\/p>\n
Turning to the situation in 2026, Amini said that the year began with a new wave of countrywide protests across Iran, including in Iranian Kurdistan, driven by economic grievances, political exclusion, and oppression. She described the subsequent digital blackout, which lasted for nearly three months, as a period during which thousands of peaceful protesters were killed, marking one of the deadliest periods of repression by the Iranian authorities in decades.<\/p>\n
Amini highlighted the role of civilians and human rights organisations in documenting the violence, saying that their efforts had made it possible to bear witness to some of the most devastating events unfolding in cities such as Ilam and Kermanshah.<\/p>\n
She also pointed to the heavy militarisation of Iranian Kurdistan, noting the establishment of checkpoints, curfews, surveillance measures, and the deployment of armed forces. She further stated that schools, hospitals, and mosques had reportedly been used to deploy military equipment, placing civilians at grave risk.<\/p>\n
Amini stressed that the Iranian regime\u2019s repression of the Kurdish people extends beyond Iran\u2019s borders. Between 28 February and 1 August 2026, Iranian Kurdish political parties based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq reported 423 cross-border attacks carried out by the Iranian regime, involving missiles, drones, and artillery. According to Amini, these attacks resulted in at least 20 deaths and more than 75 injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation in Iranian Kurdistan is critical,\u201d Amini said, pointing to the continued arrest, imprisonment, and execution of peaceful protesters, political prisoners, human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and civil society activists.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir crime? Speaking out. Demanding justice. Demanding freedom. Demanding the fundamental rights that every human being deserves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Concluding her speech, Amini emphasised that the Kurdish people have throughout history been denied their fundamental national rights, while continuing to hold on to hope for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe keep fighting for our rights so that the next generation can live in peace and freedom, with dignity and hope,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Amini stressed that the Kurdish struggle, like those of other unrepresented nations and peoples, has a greater chance of succeeding when communities learn from one another, share their experiences, and stand united.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, today, I simply ask that you stand in solidarity with the Kurdish people in our pursuit of freedom, democracy, and self-determination – just as we stand with you in your struggle,\u201d Amini concluded.<\/p>\n
The first day of the UNPO General Assembly concluded with closing remarks from the UNPO Secretary-General.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Saturday, 29 August 2026, the first day of the 21st General Assembly of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) took place in The Hague, the Netherlands, with the participation of a delegation from the Democratic Party of Iranian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[48,45],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/103793_w920.jpg?fit=920%2C518&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p12yuy-1Xj","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5990,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/the-representative-of-iranian-kurdistan-was-elected-as-member-of-the-unpo-presidency\/","url_meta":{"origin":7521,"position":0},"title":"The Representative of Iranian Kurdistan was Elected as Member of the UNPO Presidency","author":"Ali","date":"April 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On the weekend of March 27-28 2022, the Unrepresented Nations and People's Organization (UNPO) hold its XVIth General Assembly in Washington, DC, United States of America. A delegation of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), representing Iranian Kurdistan, attended the XVIth General Assembly of UNPO. The second day was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Latest"","block_context":{"text":"Latest","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/latest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/UNPO-GA2022.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/UNPO-GA2022.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/UNPO-GA2022.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/UNPO-GA2022.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/UNPO-GA2022.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7107,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/meeting-of-pdki-representative-with-unpo-secretary-general\/","url_meta":{"origin":7521,"position":1},"title":"Meeting of PDKI Representative with UNPO Secretary General","author":"Ali","date":"February 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On Monday, February 16, 2026, Sofia Amini, representative of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and Eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), met with UNPO Secretary General Merc\u00e8 Monje Cano in Strasbourg, France. During the meeting, the two discussed the recent wave of protests\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Foreign Relation Activities & Reports"","block_context":{"text":"Foreign Relation Activities & Reports","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/foreign-relation\/activities-reports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C775&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C775&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C775&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C775&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C775&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5132,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/a-pdki-delegation-attended-the-xxv-session-of-the-unpo-presidency\/","url_meta":{"origin":7521,"position":2},"title":"A PDKI Delegation Attended the XXV Session of the UNPO Presidency","author":"Ali","date":"October 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A PDKI delegation consisting of Dr. Ali Abdelzadeh, Iranian Kurdistan\u2019s representative to the UNPO, and Kawa Ahangari, PDKI\u2019s representative in Belgium, attended the XXV Session of the UNPO Presidency, which took place on 14-15 October in Brussels. 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