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Ramin Hossein Panahi was executed by Iran on September 8, 2018.
A member of the Kurdish political party Komala, Iranian authorities allege Panahi was armed at the time of his arrest, a charge he denied.
His case garnered international attention as Amnesty International and UN officials condemned his death sentence after what they said was an unfair trial and reports he was tortured in custody.
His brother, Amjad Hossein Panahi, sat down for an exclusive interview with Rudaw English to talk about the person his brother was, behind the symbol he has become.
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Rudaw: Tell me about Ramin. What kind of person was he?
Amjad Hossein Panahi: As you know, Ramin unfortunately lived for only 24 years. Life didn't give him the opportunity to make his dreams and wishes come true. Ramin had many wishes, many hobbies. He was very far-sighted. He had hopes for his nation, family, and his life around him. He was a respectful, humble guy. He always laughed and was calm. He rarely had outbursts or got angry.
He honoured women, children, workers, and the impoverished classes. In other words, he was of the belief that in Kurdish society, women, the poor, and workers face great injustices, that children were deprived of many of the things they need, and that Kurdish youth faced a bleak future.
I could say that starting from the revolution of 1957 and afterwards, our family members joined the revolution and struggle. My family faced problems.
My eldest brother Anwer was arrested ten years ago and sentenced to die. Ramin, then, was 14, 15, or 16 years old. His peers were
still studying at school to obtain a diploma and enroll in college. Ramin studied up to his [high school] diploma. Just before finishing it, the state told him that he can’t go farther and enroll in college because his family is engaged in politics, two of his brothers are Peshmerga, and another is in jail.
He was arrested for the first time at age 16. He was held in solitary confinement in an Itlaat (Iran’s intelligence service) prison in Qorveh city for about 45 days. He was the youngest of a group of 15 youth who were jailed. That group told me later that Ramin was a brave person when jailed by the fearsome, barbaric security force Itlaat. In those 45 days, he – although young but still beaten, tortured – survived and learned how to behave around security forces. It was a good experience for Ramin.
Later, the same year our brother Anwer was sentenced as a prominent civil activist of Rohjelati Kurdistan, another brother of ours who was following up on Anwer's case, Ashraf, was martyred by the Itlaat. Ramin's duty as the youngest child of our family became heavier. Our brother Anwer was in jail and sentenced to death, our brother Ashraf was martyred, our brother Afshin was serving a one year jail sentence in Qorveh. Me and my brother Rafiq were across the border. Two sisters, his parents sick – he had to carry them on his shoulders at that age.
At the age of 16 or 17, he had to take care of an entire house. This made Ramin realize he had to grow up and shoulder big responsibilities. He started civilian, rights-focused political work and activities against the Islamic Republic – civilian activities. Ramin learned at that age that he needed to be a strong supporter of political prisoners in Rojhelati Kurdistan.
He was also very young when he started opposing the death sentence as our family had bitter experience with the death sentence. He was summoned tens, hundreds of times to the IRGC and Itlaat before crossing to Southern [Iraqi] Kurdistan after leaving Iranian Kurdistan. They questioned him. They asked for his assistance, gave him jail sentences. Ramin didn't give up and continued his civil struggle.
Two years ago he had no other option but to cross the border and come to Southern Kurdistan. There was no way for him to live there. There was no place left for civil activities.
At the same time, he believed that arms won’t bring the Kurdish struggle success. He crossed to here and became a Komala
Peshmerga. His became a Peshmerga about the same time ISIS attacked Kirkuk. He volunteered, following a Komala decision, to go
to Kirkuk and remained on the frontlines for three months although he was just 19-20 years old. He carried arms and undertook to protect Kirkuk for three months. He fought against ISIS in Kirkuk for three months. He was on the frontlines.
After he returned to Komala, our mother last year unfortunately was sick and was hospitalized. Ramin, with the permission of Komala and our brother Rafiq, wanted to go and meet our mom in Sina. Unfortunately, last year, the IRGC opened fire on their car while he was with three friends. The three were martyred – two were civil activists of Rojhelati Kurdistan and the other was a relative from Bashur [Iraqi Kurdistan].
Ramin was taken prisoner while injured. He was heavily injured by three bullets. One of them hit his thigh, another in his arm, and the other in his back. It missed his heart by one centimetre. If it had been one more centimetre over, it would have hit his heart, killing him.
He was unconscious for some time in the IRGC hospitals in Sina. After regaining consciousness, he was put in solitary confinement for seven months. We didn’t know if was dead or alive for these seven months. The international community, activists of Rojhelat came forth. My mother threatened to set herself on fire more than once. We organized campaigns for him here. The Itlaat was eventually forced to transfer Ramin to Sina jail. Ramin's transfer coincided with wide, powerful protests in Rojhelati Kurdistan. In October last year, there were protests in over 100 cities of Iran. They almost toppled the Iranian authority.
At that time, numerous activists were imprisoned by Iran. Many were martyred. Ramin was transferred and tried. In a 14 minute trial, they sentenced him to death for the crime of membership in Komala and opposing the Islamic Republic. Unfortunately, soon after, his sentence was ratified in the Supreme Council.
Ramin, from the day he was captured up to when he was executed, was constantly under pressure, monitoring. They pressured him hundreds of times to apologize on Iranian TV, renege on his beliefs, and speak against Kurds and his family. But he took their wish to the grave with him, not allowing the Islamic Republic to benefit from him. This is one of his symbolic acts of courage.
Ramin was a likeable individual. Two days prior to his execution, the doctor of the Rajaee Shahr prison had to visit him as he was on a
hunger strike. Ramin told him he is sorry to burden the doctor who has to come every day to measure his blood pressure because of
the hunger strike. The doctor told someone that he had seen no one like [Ramin] in his entire tens of years of service there.
What is your fondest memory with him?
One year and two months ago, I returned from Germany and Ramin was here. We came together here [Nali Cafe]. We hadn't met for a long time. In our family, a brother was martyred, another sentenced to death. The situation of our family had prevented us from being around each other and enjoying our brotherhood, sitting down casually and drinking a coffee, laughing, having a picnic, drinking a beer, eating, joking.
On that night, I hadn't seen Ramin for quite some time. We decided to get together without discussing politics, partisanship, hangings, killings. We came to Sulaimani in the afternoon. We sat down. We also ate.
On that night, I was reminded of another Ramin, the child Ramin, the spoiled boy of our house. He was the youngest son of the house. We would hug him and play with him. We loved him. He was loved by all of us. On that night, Ramin became that Ramin. The Ramin I rocked in his cradle. We reminisced about our family. We joked. He recounted two or three funny things.
One of them is he was very much in love. He deeply believed in love. He recounted a story of him loving a girl in Rojhelati Kurdistan. However, unfortunately due to the conditions of our family, he could never tell the girl. The girl loved him too. However, he couldn't provide the stability to build a life. Sadly. At the same time, he was proud he was the son of the Hossein Panahi family.
One night, there was a big gathering and we were joking. A family had come from Iran to meet their son. I and my brother Rafiq, as two figures and cadres, went to visit the family. The son told his mother, ‘Dear mother, these are the brothers of Kak Ramin.’ Then
later Rafiq made a joke out of the incident, ‘Ramin things are such that we are known by you now.’ Ramin started joking as well and said, ‘Kak Rafiq, Kak Amjad, there will be a day when I will do such a thing that you will identify yourselves as the brothers of Ramin wherever you go."
Where ever I go, I identify myself with Ramin and I think of what he said.
Today a photo of a newborn named Ramin was circulating. I was in the car. I couldn't help myself and started crying. I saw Rojhelat and realized how great Ramin is. A baby Ramin whose cradle I rocked, a 3rd grader Ramin visiting me, a cute Ramin we hugged and played with. He became the hero that made me and my brother Rafiq and hundreds of other Rafiqs say we are Kak Ramin's brother wherever we go.
Your family has sacrificed a lot for the Kurdish nation's struggle. At times like this, is it worth it?
Unfortunately, in the struggle of the Kurdish nation, even in Southern Kurdistan, there are families who have perished entirely. In Northern [Turkish] Kurdistan, there are mothers all of whose sons have been martyred or executed. In Rojava [Syrian] and Rojhelati Kurdistan, there are many unknown families who sacrificed much more than our family. Our family is not the first.
But in the last decade, yes. We gave the most sacrifices. The Islamic Republic, because of the sympathy and support of people to our family, wanted to taint the reputation of our family. We, on our part, resisted. My brother Anwer was unjustly jailed and sentenced to death to try and force him to go on TV and slander my brothers and the Kurdish revolution. He didn't and he came out of prison head high. My brother Ashraf, because he was struggling for Kurds and was unwilling to become a collaborator, they killed him. My brother Afshin, another brother of mine older than Ramin by one year, is currently jailed in the central jail of Sina. He was given an 8.5-year sentence. He has never seen the border once in his life. He is an environmentalist and civil activist.
Ramin could have surrendered. Ramin could have been a collaborator of the Islamic Regime. He could have destroyed people. He could have gone on TV, helped the Islamic Republic and apologize to avoid the death sentence. The same for Afshin, Anwer. However, as I often say, when responsibility falls on your shoulders, you have to carry it.
Our family members, starting from my mother who is a symbol of mothers of martyrs in Rojhelati Kurdistan, up to my brother Ramin
are considered great characters. People have expectations from each of us as sons of the Hossein Panahi family. People look up to us. Ramin's execution had a big impact on me, but I never allowed myself to shed tears in front of the people because people need to learn steadfastness from me.
This struggle, in the end, requires sacrifices. Tens of other families like us give sacrifices. However, I promise you, that in the end, we will reach a good conclusion just like Southern Kurdistan. I promise you, at the dawn of freedom, the memories of Ashraf, Ramin and all the Ramins of Kurdistan will be commemorated.
They executed us to bring us to our knees, but that made us stronger in our struggle. We will continue, even if another Ramin is martyred.
How do you want Ramin remembered years from now?
The campaign for Ramin became the campaign for "no to execution" in Iran. It is inevitable that Ramin will come to mind whenever there is talk of execution. Whenever there is talk of steadfastness, Ramin will come to mind. Whenever Kurds are talked about in Iran, Ramin will come to mind. Whenever there is talk of political prisoners, Ramin will come to mind.
However, I find it better that whenever there is talk of humanity, humaneness, and of love, for Ramin to come to mind because Ramin was full of those. Ramin will absolutely not be forgotten. This is impossible. As long as there is the Islamic Republic, Ramin will be touted as a symbol of resistance against the regime.
When the Islamic Republic falls and a democratic regime replaces it, statues of Ramin, as a symbol of courage of the Kurdish nation, will be made, and streets will be named after him.
A member of the Kurdish political party Komala, Iranian authorities allege Panahi was armed at the time of his arrest, a charge he denied.
His case garnered international attention as Amnesty International and UN officials condemned his death sentence after what they said was an unfair trial and reports he was tortured in custody.
His brother, Amjad Hossein Panahi, sat down for an exclusive interview with Rudaw English to talk about the person his brother was, behind the symbol he has become.
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Rudaw: Tell me about Ramin. What kind of person was he?
Amjad Hossein Panahi: As you know, Ramin unfortunately lived for only 24 years. Life didn't give him the opportunity to make his dreams and wishes come true. Ramin had many wishes, many hobbies. He was very far-sighted. He had hopes for his nation, family, and his life around him. He was a respectful, humble guy. He always laughed and was calm. He rarely had outbursts or got angry.
He honoured women, children, workers, and the impoverished classes. In other words, he was of the belief that in Kurdish society, women, the poor, and workers face great injustices, that children were deprived of many of the things they need, and that Kurdish youth faced a bleak future.
I could say that starting from the revolution of 1957 and afterwards, our family members joined the revolution and struggle. My family faced problems.
My eldest brother Anwer was arrested ten years ago and sentenced to die. Ramin, then, was 14, 15, or 16 years old. His peers were
Life didn't give him the opportunity to make his dreams and wishes come true 
He was arrested for the first time at age 16. He was held in solitary confinement in an Itlaat (Iran’s intelligence service) prison in Qorveh city for about 45 days. He was the youngest of a group of 15 youth who were jailed. That group told me later that Ramin was a brave person when jailed by the fearsome, barbaric security force Itlaat. In those 45 days, he – although young but still beaten, tortured – survived and learned how to behave around security forces. It was a good experience for Ramin.
Later, the same year our brother Anwer was sentenced as a prominent civil activist of Rohjelati Kurdistan, another brother of ours who was following up on Anwer's case, Ashraf, was martyred by the Itlaat. Ramin's duty as the youngest child of our family became heavier. Our brother Anwer was in jail and sentenced to death, our brother Ashraf was martyred, our brother Afshin was serving a one year jail sentence in Qorveh. Me and my brother Rafiq were across the border. Two sisters, his parents sick – he had to carry them on his shoulders at that age.
At the age of 16 or 17, he had to take care of an entire house. This made Ramin realize he had to grow up and shoulder big responsibilities. He started civilian, rights-focused political work and activities against the Islamic Republic – civilian activities. Ramin learned at that age that he needed to be a strong supporter of political prisoners in Rojhelati Kurdistan.
He was also very young when he started opposing the death sentence as our family had bitter experience with the death sentence. He was summoned tens, hundreds of times to the IRGC and Itlaat before crossing to Southern [Iraqi] Kurdistan after leaving Iranian Kurdistan. They questioned him. They asked for his assistance, gave him jail sentences. Ramin didn't give up and continued his civil struggle.
Two years ago he had no other option but to cross the border and come to Southern Kurdistan. There was no way for him to live there. There was no place left for civil activities.
At the same time, he believed that arms won’t bring the Kurdish struggle success. He crossed to here and became a Komala
He fought against ISIS in Kirkuk for three months
After he returned to Komala, our mother last year unfortunately was sick and was hospitalized. Ramin, with the permission of Komala and our brother Rafiq, wanted to go and meet our mom in Sina. Unfortunately, last year, the IRGC opened fire on their car while he was with three friends. The three were martyred – two were civil activists of Rojhelati Kurdistan and the other was a relative from Bashur [Iraqi Kurdistan].
Ramin was taken prisoner while injured. He was heavily injured by three bullets. One of them hit his thigh, another in his arm, and the other in his back. It missed his heart by one centimetre. If it had been one more centimetre over, it would have hit his heart, killing him.
He was unconscious for some time in the IRGC hospitals in Sina. After regaining consciousness, he was put in solitary confinement for seven months. We didn’t know if was dead or alive for these seven months. The international community, activists of Rojhelat came forth. My mother threatened to set herself on fire more than once. We organized campaigns for him here. The Itlaat was eventually forced to transfer Ramin to Sina jail. Ramin's transfer coincided with wide, powerful protests in Rojhelati Kurdistan. In October last year, there were protests in over 100 cities of Iran. They almost toppled the Iranian authority.
At that time, numerous activists were imprisoned by Iran. Many were martyred. Ramin was transferred and tried. In a 14 minute trial, they sentenced him to death for the crime of membership in Komala and opposing the Islamic Republic. Unfortunately, soon after, his sentence was ratified in the Supreme Council.
Ramin, from the day he was captured up to when he was executed, was constantly under pressure, monitoring. They pressured him hundreds of times to apologize on Iranian TV, renege on his beliefs, and speak against Kurds and his family. But he took their wish to the grave with him, not allowing the Islamic Republic to benefit from him. This is one of his symbolic acts of courage.
Ramin was a likeable individual. Two days prior to his execution, the doctor of the Rajaee Shahr prison had to visit him as he was on a
He deeply believed in love
What is your fondest memory with him?
One year and two months ago, I returned from Germany and Ramin was here. We came together here [Nali Cafe]. We hadn't met for a long time. In our family, a brother was martyred, another sentenced to death. The situation of our family had prevented us from being around each other and enjoying our brotherhood, sitting down casually and drinking a coffee, laughing, having a picnic, drinking a beer, eating, joking.
On that night, I hadn't seen Ramin for quite some time. We decided to get together without discussing politics, partisanship, hangings, killings. We came to Sulaimani in the afternoon. We sat down. We also ate.
On that night, I was reminded of another Ramin, the child Ramin, the spoiled boy of our house. He was the youngest son of the house. We would hug him and play with him. We loved him. He was loved by all of us. On that night, Ramin became that Ramin. The Ramin I rocked in his cradle. We reminisced about our family. We joked. He recounted two or three funny things.
One of them is he was very much in love. He deeply believed in love. He recounted a story of him loving a girl in Rojhelati Kurdistan. However, unfortunately due to the conditions of our family, he could never tell the girl. The girl loved him too. However, he couldn't provide the stability to build a life. Sadly. At the same time, he was proud he was the son of the Hossein Panahi family.
One night, there was a big gathering and we were joking. A family had come from Iran to meet their son. I and my brother Rafiq, as two figures and cadres, went to visit the family. The son told his mother, ‘Dear mother, these are the brothers of Kak Ramin.’ Then
This struggle, in the end, requires sacrifices
Where ever I go, I identify myself with Ramin and I think of what he said.
Today a photo of a newborn named Ramin was circulating. I was in the car. I couldn't help myself and started crying. I saw Rojhelat and realized how great Ramin is. A baby Ramin whose cradle I rocked, a 3rd grader Ramin visiting me, a cute Ramin we hugged and played with. He became the hero that made me and my brother Rafiq and hundreds of other Rafiqs say we are Kak Ramin's brother wherever we go.
Your family has sacrificed a lot for the Kurdish nation's struggle. At times like this, is it worth it?
Unfortunately, in the struggle of the Kurdish nation, even in Southern Kurdistan, there are families who have perished entirely. In Northern [Turkish] Kurdistan, there are mothers all of whose sons have been martyred or executed. In Rojava [Syrian] and Rojhelati Kurdistan, there are many unknown families who sacrificed much more than our family. Our family is not the first.
But in the last decade, yes. We gave the most sacrifices. The Islamic Republic, because of the sympathy and support of people to our family, wanted to taint the reputation of our family. We, on our part, resisted. My brother Anwer was unjustly jailed and sentenced to death to try and force him to go on TV and slander my brothers and the Kurdish revolution. He didn't and he came out of prison head high. My brother Ashraf, because he was struggling for Kurds and was unwilling to become a collaborator, they killed him. My brother Afshin, another brother of mine older than Ramin by one year, is currently jailed in the central jail of Sina. He was given an 8.5-year sentence. He has never seen the border once in his life. He is an environmentalist and civil activist.
Ramin could have surrendered. Ramin could have been a collaborator of the Islamic Regime. He could have destroyed people. He could have gone on TV, helped the Islamic Republic and apologize to avoid the death sentence. The same for Afshin, Anwer. However, as I often say, when responsibility falls on your shoulders, you have to carry it.
Our family members, starting from my mother who is a symbol of mothers of martyrs in Rojhelati Kurdistan, up to my brother Ramin
They executed us to bring us to our knees, but that made us stronger in our struggle
This struggle, in the end, requires sacrifices. Tens of other families like us give sacrifices. However, I promise you, that in the end, we will reach a good conclusion just like Southern Kurdistan. I promise you, at the dawn of freedom, the memories of Ashraf, Ramin and all the Ramins of Kurdistan will be commemorated.
They executed us to bring us to our knees, but that made us stronger in our struggle. We will continue, even if another Ramin is martyred.
How do you want Ramin remembered years from now?
The campaign for Ramin became the campaign for "no to execution" in Iran. It is inevitable that Ramin will come to mind whenever there is talk of execution. Whenever there is talk of steadfastness, Ramin will come to mind. Whenever Kurds are talked about in Iran, Ramin will come to mind. Whenever there is talk of political prisoners, Ramin will come to mind.
However, I find it better that whenever there is talk of humanity, humaneness, and of love, for Ramin to come to mind because Ramin was full of those. Ramin will absolutely not be forgotten. This is impossible. As long as there is the Islamic Republic, Ramin will be touted as a symbol of resistance against the regime.
When the Islamic Republic falls and a democratic regime replaces it, statues of Ramin, as a symbol of courage of the Kurdish nation, will be made, and streets will be named after him.
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