At least 16 Kurdish women are political prisoners in Iran
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – At least sixteen Kurdish women are political prisoners in Iran, the Kurdistan Press Agency (Kurdpa) reported, stating that some are serving 10-year prison sentences and others are serving indefinite terms.
The Iranian authorities have imprisoned these women mainly on charges of assisting Kurdish political parties in eastern Kurdistan, Iran.
Many of these political prisoners are transferred to jails out of the Kurdish areas after their trial, far from their families.
Suhaila Minaye, 27, is from Divandarreh. She was arrested on charges of providing assistance to a Kurdish political party. She has been given 3 years and one month in prison, and has been transferred to a prison in Kerman, 1,300 kilometres away from her hometown.
Afsana Bayezede, 28, is from Bokan. She was arrested in 2014 by the Iranian intelligence agency Ettela'at on charges of assisting a Kurdish political party, propaganda against the state, and showing contempt against the Iranian leader. She was in Ettela'at’s custody for three months.
Bayezede went on a hunger strike for 19 days in prison. She was given a 4-year prison sentence and has been transferred to Kerman prison, 1,400 kilometres away.
This is not the first time Bayezede has been jailed. She was previously given a 2-year suspended prison sentence. She was recently transferred to solitary confinement for an alleged confrontation with her inmates.
Rozhen Paya is from a village near the city of Urmia. She was arrested on charges of membership in a Kurdish political party, and was given a 6-year prison sentence by the court. She has spent three years in Urmia’s central jail, and has now been sent to Yasuj, more than 1,200 kilometres away, to serve the remainder of her jail term.
Hajer Piri, 33, is from Naqadeh. She was arrested in 2007 on charges of membership in a Kurdish political party and working against the Islamic Republic of Iran. She was given 17 years in prison and was transferred to the Kerman jail. She is now spending her jail term in Tabriz prison.
Gulnaz Ahangkhosh is from the village of Bardarash near the city of Urmia. She was arrested on charges of wanting to join the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an alleged offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). She is now in Urmia jail with her case still pending at the court.
Razia Akimi was also arrested on the same charge. She was injured during her detention but has not been to the hospital for treatment. She is currently in Urmia’s central jail.
Zaynab Jalalyan, 34, is from of Maku. She was arrested on charges of membership in PJAK and attempted military operations against Iran. She has been in prison for 9 years, and is currently in Khuyeh’s central jail, some 1,300 kilometres away.
Jalalyan is ill with bleeding in her bowels and has eye problems. Amnesty International warned this year that she might lose her eyesight if not treated soon, but she has yet to be treated in a hospital.
Qadria Qadiri, 27, is from the Kurdish city of Van in Turkey. She was arrested on charges of membership in the PKK, propagating PKK’s ideology and endangering the security of Iran. She was given 7 years in prison and was then transferred to the Yasuj jail.
She was initially in Urmia’s Ettela'at jail for two months where she was tortured before being sent to Yasuj jail in 2013. She is now ill with an ear infection, migraine, and a numb hand. She has not yet been sent to the hospital for treatment.
Asren Amen Zada, a 24-year old statistics student, is from the city of Mahabad and was residing in the city of Sina. She was arrested this year in connection with assisting the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran. She has been given 3 years in prison. She had earlier been arrested and detained by Iran’s Ettela'at for 3 months.
Lawen Karemi, 26 and a university student from the city of Saqqez, was arrested last year on charges of assisting Kurdish political parties. She was given 3 years behind bars and was then transferred to Mahabad.
Parestu Ajyan is also from Saqqez. She was arrested on charges of membership in a Kurdish political party and propaganda against the state. She is in Zanjan jail, awaiting the court decision on her case. She had already been jailed for two months by Ettela'at in Saqqez.
Meryam Muqadasi, from Naqadeh, was arrested in 2011 for allegedly providing assistance to a Kurdish political party and spreading propaganda against Iran. She was given 9 years in prison. She is now in Tehran’s Evin prison. She has not been given leave for six years.
Shahla Mohamediani, 27, from Mahabad, was arrested in 2015 on charges of membership in an Iranian Kurdish political party and propaganda against Iran. She was given 4 years in prison.
Sudaba Hasan Khani is a 31 year-old computer engineer from Alab near Bijar city. She was arrested in 2014 on espionage charges and propaganda against Iran and was given 9 years in prison. She was in Ettela'at’s custody in Bijar for 9 months and was then sent to Kerman jail. She has not yet been freed despite finishing her jail term.
Safia Sadiqi, 25, is from Salmas. She was arrested in 2010 and was given 15 years in jail. She is now in Sina’s central prison.
Fareda Khoshnam, a 32-year-old law graduate, is from the city of Takab. She was arrested in 2005 on charges of alleged relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and working against Iran. She was given 14 years in prison and was also given 80 lashes. She was then transferred to Kerman jail. She had earlier been in Ettela'at’s custody in Takab for nearly 5 months.
The Iranian authorities have imprisoned these women mainly on charges of assisting Kurdish political parties in eastern Kurdistan, Iran.
Many of these political prisoners are transferred to jails out of the Kurdish areas after their trial, far from their families.
Suhaila Minaye, 27, is from Divandarreh. She was arrested on charges of providing assistance to a Kurdish political party. She has been given 3 years and one month in prison, and has been transferred to a prison in Kerman, 1,300 kilometres away from her hometown.
Afsana Bayezede, 28, is from Bokan. She was arrested in 2014 by the Iranian intelligence agency Ettela'at on charges of assisting a Kurdish political party, propaganda against the state, and showing contempt against the Iranian leader. She was in Ettela'at’s custody for three months.
Bayezede went on a hunger strike for 19 days in prison. She was given a 4-year prison sentence and has been transferred to Kerman prison, 1,400 kilometres away.
This is not the first time Bayezede has been jailed. She was previously given a 2-year suspended prison sentence. She was recently transferred to solitary confinement for an alleged confrontation with her inmates.
Rozhen Paya is from a village near the city of Urmia. She was arrested on charges of membership in a Kurdish political party, and was given a 6-year prison sentence by the court. She has spent three years in Urmia’s central jail, and has now been sent to Yasuj, more than 1,200 kilometres away, to serve the remainder of her jail term.
Hajer Piri, 33, is from Naqadeh. She was arrested in 2007 on charges of membership in a Kurdish political party and working against the Islamic Republic of Iran. She was given 17 years in prison and was transferred to the Kerman jail. She is now spending her jail term in Tabriz prison.
Gulnaz Ahangkhosh is from the village of Bardarash near the city of Urmia. She was arrested on charges of wanting to join the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an alleged offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). She is now in Urmia jail with her case still pending at the court.
Razia Akimi was also arrested on the same charge. She was injured during her detention but has not been to the hospital for treatment. She is currently in Urmia’s central jail.
Zaynab Jalalyan, 34, is from of Maku. She was arrested on charges of membership in PJAK and attempted military operations against Iran. She has been in prison for 9 years, and is currently in Khuyeh’s central jail, some 1,300 kilometres away.
Jalalyan is ill with bleeding in her bowels and has eye problems. Amnesty International warned this year that she might lose her eyesight if not treated soon, but she has yet to be treated in a hospital.
Qadria Qadiri, 27, is from the Kurdish city of Van in Turkey. She was arrested on charges of membership in the PKK, propagating PKK’s ideology and endangering the security of Iran. She was given 7 years in prison and was then transferred to the Yasuj jail.
She was initially in Urmia’s Ettela'at jail for two months where she was tortured before being sent to Yasuj jail in 2013. She is now ill with an ear infection, migraine, and a numb hand. She has not yet been sent to the hospital for treatment.
Asren Amen Zada, a 24-year old statistics student, is from the city of Mahabad and was residing in the city of Sina. She was arrested this year in connection with assisting the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran. She has been given 3 years in prison. She had earlier been arrested and detained by Iran’s Ettela'at for 3 months.
Lawen Karemi, 26 and a university student from the city of Saqqez, was arrested last year on charges of assisting Kurdish political parties. She was given 3 years behind bars and was then transferred to Mahabad.
Parestu Ajyan is also from Saqqez. She was arrested on charges of membership in a Kurdish political party and propaganda against the state. She is in Zanjan jail, awaiting the court decision on her case. She had already been jailed for two months by Ettela'at in Saqqez.
Meryam Muqadasi, from Naqadeh, was arrested in 2011 for allegedly providing assistance to a Kurdish political party and spreading propaganda against Iran. She was given 9 years in prison. She is now in Tehran’s Evin prison. She has not been given leave for six years.
Shahla Mohamediani, 27, from Mahabad, was arrested in 2015 on charges of membership in an Iranian Kurdish political party and propaganda against Iran. She was given 4 years in prison.
Sudaba Hasan Khani is a 31 year-old computer engineer from Alab near Bijar city. She was arrested in 2014 on espionage charges and propaganda against Iran and was given 9 years in prison. She was in Ettela'at’s custody in Bijar for 9 months and was then sent to Kerman jail. She has not yet been freed despite finishing her jail term.
Safia Sadiqi, 25, is from Salmas. She was arrested in 2010 and was given 15 years in jail. She is now in Sina’s central prison.
Fareda Khoshnam, a 32-year-old law graduate, is from the city of Takab. She was arrested in 2005 on charges of alleged relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and working against Iran. She was given 14 years in prison and was also given 80 lashes. She was then transferred to Kerman jail. She had earlier been in Ettela'at’s custody in Takab for nearly 5 months.