On the Occasion of 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) released a report documenting the widespread violations of the rights of Kurdish women in Iran during the period from 26 November 2024 to 25 November 2025.
The report is based on data recorded by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network as well as other credible sources. It covers cases of arrests, the issuance and implementation of sentences against Kurdish women activists, incidents of violence and femicide, and protest gatherings and strikes held in Kurdistan against violence and violations of women’s rights.
Given the limited access to information and details, the absence of any possibility for independent human rights organisations to operate legally in Iran, and the security pressures and threats faced by victims and their families, it must be stressed that the available figures and documentation do not in any way represent the full scale of violations against Kurdish women.
Over the past year, in response to violence and femicide, death sentences issued against Kurdish women political prisoners, and in connection with International Women’s Day, several gatherings and strikes were held across Kurdistan.
Following the brutal murder of Ghazaleh Hodoudi by a man in Sanandaj, a group of women’s rights activists and civil society actors gathered at the site of the killing on 5 January 2025. Holding placards reading “Jin Jiyan Azadî” (meaning Women, Life, Freedom in Kurdish), the protesters called for an end to structural violence against women and read out a statement condemning femicide.
In another action, a group of women activists staged a gathering outside the Governor’s Office in Sanandaj on 15 January 2025 to protest the upholding of Pakhshan Azizi’s death sentence. They demanded the immediate annulment of the sentence and the release of all political and religious prisoners.
The demonstrators, holding photographs of Pakhshan Azizi and chanting slogans against the death penalty, read out a statement stressing that the sentence issued against her was not only unjust, but also a stark symbol of injustice against human values and her social contributions.
Additionally, following the call by Kurdish political parties for a general strike on 22 January 2025 against the death sentences of Pakhshan Azizi, Verisheh Moradi and other Kurdish political prisoners, a widespread general strike was held in many cities of Kurdistan, particularly Sanandaj, Mahabad, Saqqez and Divandarreh. At the same time, 35 female political prisoners in Evin Prison also went on hunger strike in support of the action.
The strike took place amid a wave of summonses, threats and interrogations of dozens of Kurdish activists and citizens by security agencies in the days prior. In some cities, large numbers of people were also arrested. On the day of the strike, dozens of shops that joined the action were marked and sealed by security forces and the Police in charge of Supervision over Public Facilities and Locations.
On 7 March 2025, a group of women’s rights activists and civil society actors, together with the Mothers for Peace, held an event outside Sanandaj to mark International Women’s Day. Carrying photographs of female political prisoners sentenced to death, participants protested against the sentences and chanted slogans in support of women’s rights, emphasising the need to achieve full gender equality and eliminate all forms of discrimination and inequality. A statement was read out during the event and activities such as poetry readings were held.
The ceremony took place despite the fact that a day earlier, the Ministry of Intelligence office in Sanandaj had summoned and threatened several women and labour activists, warning that any attempt to organise or take part in gatherings related to International Women’s Day would lead to legal action.
Arrests
At least 23 Kurdish women were arrested for reasons linked to civil rights, political or labour activism, participation in peaceful gatherings, or even without being informed of any specific charges. In most cases, the arrests were carried out without a warrant, and the detainees were denied access to a lawyer and deprived of the right to contact or receive visits from their families. There were also instances of pressure to make forced confessions and threats against family members.
Available information indicates that most of the detainees have been temporarily released on bail. However, Zilan Kamanagar, Sirwan Shawleh, Sheyda Azizi and Noushin (Nashmil) Rezaei remain held in detention centres of security agencies and in the prisons of Sanandaj and Orumiyeh.
1. Nazanin Elyasi was arrested on 16 December 2024 after being summoned by telephone and reporting to the Ministry of Intelligence in Mahabad. After about four months in the Ministry’s detention facility in Orumiyeh, she was temporarily released on 10 April 2025 on bail of 40 billion rials (nearly 40,000 USD).
2. Ayda Amouei was arrested on 18 January 2025 by Ministry of Intelligence agents who used force during the operation at her workplace, a sports club in Sanandaj. She was temporarily released from the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj on 3 February 2025 on bail of 60 billion rials (nearly 60,000 USD).
3. Parvin Advaei, a civil rights activist and former political prisoner, was arrested on 20 January 2025 after being summoned by telephone to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Marivan and transferred to the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj. She spent about one month in solitary confinement and was taken daily to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Sanandaj for interrogation. She was temporarily released on bail in early March 2025.
4. Bafrin Maroufi was arrested on 30 January 2025 by Ministry of Intelligence agents at her family home in Bukan. After several days of interrogation at the Ministry’s detention facility in Orumiyeh, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Orumiyeh Central Prison. She was temporarily released on bail on 15 February 2025.
5–6. Leyla Pashaei and Baran Saedi, two women’s rights activists and organisers of the 8 March event in Sanandaj, were arrested on 9 and 10 March 2025 respectively when Ministry of Intelligence agents raided their family homes. They were taken to the Ministry’s detention facility in Sanandaj, and were temporarily released on bail on 25 March 2025.
On 26 May 2025, the two activists were summoned to Branch Two of the Sanandaj Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office, where they faced two new charges of “forming an illegal group” and “propaganda against the state” and the investigating judge, Judge Ramazani, increased their bail amount.
7–8. Soheyla Motaei and Soma Mohammad Rezaei, two civil rights activists and organisers of the 8 March event in Sanandaj, were arrested on 10 March 2025 in Dehgolan and Sanandaj by Ministry of Intelligence agents, and were temporarily released on bail in mid-March.
9. Shno Mohammadi was arrested on 23 March 2025 along with her husband, Saheb (Arivan) Shakeri, by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Sanandaj. She was temporarily released on bail from the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj on 29 March 2025.
10. Farzaneh Rashidi was arrested on 25 May 2025 by Ministry of Intelligence agents at her family home in Baneh and taken to the Ministry’s detention centre in Sanandaj. At the same time, her husband, Saman Karimi, was arrested on a street in the city. She was temporarily released on 27 July 2025 on bail of 15 billion rials (nearly 15,000 USD).
11. Zhila Tashakkori was arrested on 21 June 2025 by security forces in Saqqez and was temporarily released on 20 August 2025 on bail of 10 billion rials (nearly 10,000 USD).
12. Mahsa Zarei, a civil rights activist, was arrested on 25 May 2025 at her family home in Kermanshah by Ministry of Intelligence agents and was released after one week upon providing a surety guarantee.
13–14. Rozhin and Rana Khoran, two sisters from the village of Shahrak-e Ziveh in the Margavar region of Orumiyeh, were arrested along with their uncle, Jalal Farrokhi, on 26 May 2025 by Ministry of Intelligence agents. They were temporarily released on bail after several days in custody. They had previously been arrested during Newroz 2025 celebrations in Orumiyeh.
15. Sheyda Azizi was arrested in Sanandaj during the 12-day Iran–Israel war in June 2025 and taken to the detention centre of a security agency in the city. After initial interrogation, she was transferred to the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj.
16. Derakhshan Rahimi was arrested on 28 June 2025 in Sanandaj along with her two brothers, Zanyar and Edris Rahimi, by security forces and taken to the detention centre of a security agency. During detention, she was interrogated on charges of “espionage for Israel” and “acting against national security through collaboration with Komala”. After around 100 days in detention, she was temporarily released from the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj on 6 October 2025 on bail of 10 billion rials (nearly 10,000 USD).
17. Kelara Rasouli was arrested on 10 July 2025 along with her father, Khedr Rasouli, when Ministry of Intelligence agents violently raided their family home in Mahabad. She was first taken to the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Orumiyeh and was temporarily released on bail on 19 October 2025.
18. Ronak Dashti was arrested on 16 July 2025 by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Kamyaran and taken to the detention centre of a security agency in Sanandaj. After several weeks, she was temporarily released on bail from the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj.
19. Roghayyeh (Zhino) Karimi was arrested on 8 August 2025 by the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Marivan and was transferred to the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj after initial interrogation. She was later temporarily released on bail.
20. Gezing Ghazi, a writer from Mahabad living in Tehran, was arrested on 9 October 2025 at her home by security forces and was temporarily released on bail after 10 days in custody.
21. Noushin (Nashmil) Rezaei was arrested on 27 October 2025 by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Kamyaran and taken to the Ministry’s detention centre in Sanandaj. After several weeks of interrogation, she was transferred to the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj. She has been charged with “acting against national security” through membership in Komala.
22. Sirwan Shawleh was arrested on 29 October 2025 at her family home in Mahabad by Ministry of Intelligence agents and taken to the Ministry’s detention centre in Orumiyeh. She had previously been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Mahabad on 4 February 2025 and subjected to several hours of interrogation and threats.
23. Zilan Kamanagar was arrested on 29 October 2025 by Ministry of Intelligence agents at her family home in Kamyaran and transferred to the Ministry’s detention facility in Sanandaj.
Issuance of Sentences
The judicial and administrative bodies of the Islamic Republic have issued, or upheld previous, sentences against at least 15 Kurdish women, including prison terms, death sentences, dismissal from employment, compulsory retirement, and other administrative and judicial penalties.
1. Bafrin Maroufi was sentenced in spring 2025 by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court Two in Bukan to four months and seven days in prison on charges of “acting against national security” through collaboration with the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI).
2. Somayyeh Akhtar-Shomar, a teacher from Marivan with 17 years of service in the Ministry of Education, was dismissed from her job in May 2025 by a ruling of Branch 31 of the Administrative Justice Court. The accusations against her included “supporting and assisting opposition groups”, “publishing offensive content and spreading false information against the Islamic Republic”, “actively participating in illegal teachers’ union channels”, “drafting internal English exam questions in support of insurgents”, and “supporting opposition groups in the Kurdistan Region [of Iraq] on social media”.
3. The sentence of Srwa Pourmohammadi, a Kurdish language instructor and board member of the Nozhin Socio-Cultural Association, was reduced to five years in prison by the Kurdistan Appeals Court in December 2025. She had previously been sentenced in November 2023 by Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj to 10 years in prison on charges of “forming or membership in a group or organisation with the aim of disrupting national security”.
4. Leyla Salimi, a teachers’ union activist who had been dismissed by Preliminary Board for Administrative Violations of Employees in Kurdistan Province in mid-2024, received a reduced penalty of two months’ suspension from service at the appeal stage in December 2024.
5. The compulsory retirement order for Nasrin Karimi, which included a two-grade demotion and removal from her position as deputy school principal, was issued and later upheld by the Administrative Justice Court in November 2025.
6. The compulsory retirement order for Leyla Zarei, which included a one-grade demotion, was issued and upheld by the Administrative Justice Court in November 2025.
7. The death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi) and “membership in opposition groups” was upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court on 8 January 2025. Shortly afterwards, her request for a retrial was rejected by Branch Nine of the Supreme Court.
8. Mina Soltani, mother of Shahriar Mohammadi, one of those killed during the anti-government Women, Life, Freedom uprising, was tried on 15 February 2025 by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court Two in Bukan on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “appearing in public without mandatory hijab”. She was sentenced to eight months in prison and a fine of 10 million rials.
9–10. Zara Mohammadi and Fatemeh Zand-Karimi, along with five other civil rights activists, were summoned, charged and temporarily released on bail of one billion rials (nearly 1,000 USD) by Branch Two of the Sanandaj Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office on 23 February 2025 after taking part in a protest against the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi. The charge against them was “disturbing public order and peace”.
11. Bayan Salehian, a medical doctor from Saqqez, was sentenced on 25 April 2025 by the Orumiyeh Criminal Court to five months in prison and a fine of 1.5 billion rials (nearly 1,500 USD) on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic and in favour of hostile groups”.
12. Soheyla Motaei, a civil rights activist, was sentenced on 17 June 2025 by Branch 102 of the Dehgolan Criminal Court to three months in prison and three years’ suspended imprisonment on the charge of “propaganda in favour of groups and organisations opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
13. Elham Naderi Monfared, from Nowdeshah and residing in Marivan, was sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Marivan on the charge of “propaganda activity in favour of the Zionist regime” to two years in prison, of which 21 and a half months are suspended and two and a half months are enforceable.
14. Zeytoun Kahzadi, principal of Ferdows Primary School in Javanrud, and Mehri Khosravizadeh, a moral education teacher at the same school, were removed from their administrative posts and reassigned to teaching duties after students performed Kurdish patriotic songs and the videos were shared on social media.
15. Sheyda Azizi, who had been arrested in Sanandaj during the 12-day Israel–Iran war, was sentenced to three years in prison in November 2025 by the Islamic Revolutionary Court on the charge of “acting against national security” through membership of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.
Enforcement of Prison Sentences
At least five Kurdish women previously sentenced to imprisonment were sent to the prisons of Orumiyeh and Sanandaj to serve their sentences.
1. Sousan Hassanzadeh, a civil rights activist and Kurdish language instructor, was transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison on 26 November 2024 to serve her sentence. She had been sentenced in October 2024 by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court Two in Bukan to three months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the state”. She was released from Orumiyeh Central Prison after completing her sentence.
2. Srwa Shiri, from the village of Taraqeh in Bukan, was sent to Orumiyeh Central Prison on 6 January 2025 to serve an eight-month sentence previously issued against her on the charge of “propaganda activity against the state in favour of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan”. She was released on 2 August 2025 after completing her sentence.
3. Galawezh Mohammadi-Arshad was arrested on 12 January 2025 after being summoned to the Enforcement of Judgements Office in Mahabad and sent to Orumiyeh Central Prison to serve a four-month sentence previously issued against her on the charge of “propaganda against the state”. She was released from prison after completing her sentence.
4. Bafrin Maroufi was sent to Orumiyeh Central Prison on 25 May 2025 to serve her sentence of four months and seven days in prison. She was released on 9 September 2025 after completing her sentence.
5. Srwa Pourmohammadi, a Kurdish language instructor and board member of the Nozhin Socio-Cultural Association, was arrested on 19 April 2025 after reporting to the Enforcement of Judgements Office of the Sanandaj Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office and sent to the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj to serve her sentence. She had previously been sentenced in November 2023 by Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj to 10 years in prison on the charge of “forming or membership in a group or organisation with the aim of disrupting national security”. This sentence was reduced to five years by the Kurdistan Provincial Appeals Court in December 2024.
Executions
Two women from Ilam were executed on charges of “murder” and “complicity in murder”. Farideh Jafarzadeh was executed on 3 December 2024 in Ilam Central Prison, and Mitra Yasini was executed on 27 August 2025 in Shiraz Central Prison.
Femicide
At least 30 cases of femicide, five involving girls under the age of 18, have been reported. All were gender-based killings carried out by men close to the victims (fathers, husbands, sons-in-law, or suitors). Of the victims, three lived in rural areas and the others in urban areas.
Geographically, 16 were killed in Kermanshah Province, six in Ilam Province, five in Kurdistan Province, and three in West Azerbaijan Province. In terms of marital status, 22 were married, two divorced, three single, and three were children.
According to available information, at least 10 of these killings occurred within the family, and in these cases other family members were also attacked alongside the female victims. In some cases individuals were injured; in others they were killed. In at least six cases, the perpetrator committed suicide after the killing.
Among the 30 women and girls, 16 were killed by their husbands, five by their fathers, four by suitors, and four by sons-in-law. In one case, the identity of the perpetrator has not been established.
In 17 cases, the motive remains unknown and was vaguely described in reports as “family disputes”. In the remaining cases, the reported motives were: six cases following requests for divorce, four killings following rejection of a suitor’s marriage proposal, and one due to financial disputes with a husband. Two girls were killed, one for contacting her mother after her parents’ separation, and the other for having a relationship with a boy.
1. A 46-year-old woman whose identity has not been disclosed was stabbed to death by her husband in Ilam on 29 November 2024. After turning himself in, the husband cited “family disputes” as his motive.
2. Ghazaleh Hodoudi, a 28-year-old woman and mother of one child, was set on fire on 25 December 2024 in her tailoring shop in the Naysar neighbourhood of Sanandaj by a man whose marriage proposal she had rejected. She died two days later in hospital due to severe burns.
3. Sara Karami, a mother of one, was killed in December 2024 at her family home in Saqqez. At the time of her death, she was in the process of divorcing her husband. Reports indicated bruising on her neck and bleeding from the ear.
4. Kowsar Darabi, aged 18, was killed by her husband with a firearm in Kermanshah on 1 January 2025, two months after being forced into marriage. She had been severely beaten before the killing, and bruising was visible on her body.
5. Zahra Shahbazi, a 28-year-old mother of two children, was shot dead by her husband in Ilam on 7 January 2025. She had been forced into marriage and her husband had a history of addiction and violence.
6–7–8. Sima Moradi, aged 35, and her two daughters, Mahour (aged 9) and Zeynab Gholami (aged 16), were shot and killed by her husband in Kermanshah on 25 January 2025.
9. Kani Abdollahi, 17, was killed on 25 January 2025 in the village of Mashkan in Piranshahr by her father, who stabbed her to death for “having a relationship with a boy”. It is reported that Kani’s uncle had killed his own daughter the previous year in a similar “honour-related” attack.
10. Donya Hosseini, aged 23 and a victim of child marriage forced upon her at age 14, was stabbed to death by her father on 17 February 2025 in Kermanshah after she requested a divorce from her husband. She had previously endured constant domestic violence from her husband and had also been subjected to sexual assault and harassment by her brother-in-law.
11. Farzaneh Moradi, a pregnant 30-year-old woman and mother of two children, was shot dead by her husband on 26 March 2025 in Kuzaran, Kermanshah Province.
12. Azita Fallahi, a 36-year-old mother of two children, was beaten to death by her husband in Sonqor on 3 April 2025. Her death was initially declared a “suicide”, but forensic examination confirmed she had been murdered.
13. Aylar Zaherpour, 12, was shot dead by her father in the village of Sorkhak in Eslamabad-e Gharb on 3 April 2025 for making a phone call to her mother following her parents’ separation. After the killing, the father attempted suicide and was taken to hospital.
14. Zahra Nour-Mohammadi and her two children were killed on 8 April 2025 in Ilam by her husband, who subsequently committed suicide.
15. Golab Faramarzi was shot dead on 27 April 2025 in the village of Kalineh Goran in Dalahu by her son-in-law, who then committed suicide. Reportedly, he had been in conflict with his wife, who had been living with her parents for several months.
16–17. Batoul Mohammadi, along with her mother Fatemeh Mohammadi and her son, was killed on 1 May 2025 in Kermanshah when her husband opened fire on them. Two other family members were also injured, and the perpetrator committed suicide after the killings.
18. Samira Nour-Bakhsh, a 37-year-old mother of one, was shot dead on 3 May 2025 in Kermanshah by a man whose marriage proposal she had rejected.
19. A woman whose identity has not been disclosed was killed on 16 May 2025 in Kermanshah along with her brother by her husband. The woman’s father was also severely injured in the incident.
20–21. Samira Farhadi, a mother of two, was shot on 23 May 2025 in Kermanshah along with her two sisters, Somayyeh Farhadi (aged 17) and Zahra Farhadi, when her husband opened fire on them. Samira and Somayyeh died in the attack. Samira had reportedly intended to separate from her husband due to serious marital problems. After the incident, the perpetrator took his own life.
22. Mahboubeh Delavari, aged 42 and a schoolteacher, was killed on 22 June 2025 in Abdanan after being struck on the head during an argument with her husband.
23–24. Sedigheh Rostami and her sister Leyla Rostami were killed on 2 July 2025 in Ilam by Sediqeh’s husband, who had recently been released from prison. He had a history of violence, and Sediqeh had been in the process of divorcing him. After killing both women and injuring another family member, he committed suicide.
25. Mohaddeseh Mirzaei, a 30-year-old mother of one child, was killed by her husband in Gilan-e Gharb on 13 July 2025. She had been lured to the meeting location under the pretext of discussing a possible reconciliation. After the killing, the perpetrator committed suicide.
26. Chenour Abbasi and her husband were killed on 17 July 2025 in Dehgolan by a man who shot and stabbed them. The perpetrator had demanded that Chenour leave her husband and marry him; after she refused, he carried out the attack.
27. Soraya Ali-Mohammadi, a 32-year-old mother of one, was set on fire and killed by her husband on 2 September 2025 in Saqqez following repeated threats related to her request for a divorce.
28. Shahla Karimiani, a 38-year-old mother of two children, was killed on 16 September 2025 in Mahabad after a period of severe domestic violence by her husband, who carried out the killing with the help of his brother by strangling her with a scarf. Her body had been buried secretly, and the burial site was discovered several days later.
29. Leyla Alirmaei, a 42-year-old mother of two children, was shot dead on 26 October 2025 in Marivan by a man who wanted her to leave her husband and marry him. The killing occurred after Leyla refused his demand.
30. Namam Farnoush, aged 42, was shot dead by her husband on 16 November 2025 in Mahabad. Her father, Khaled Farnoush, was also killed in the attack. Reports indicate that prior to the killing she had formally requested a divorce due to serious marital disputes.
Political Prisoners
At present, at least nine Kurdish women political prisoners are being held in various prisons across Iran, and two of them face the imminent risk of execution. Additionally, a Kurdish woman activist is serving the remainder of her sentence outside prison under electronic monitoring and judicial supervision.
1. Zeynab Jalalian, the longest-imprisoned woman political prisoner in Iran and the only one serving a life sentence, is currently in her 18th year of imprisonment in Yazd Prison. She was arrested on 26 February 2008 in Kermanshah and, after months in solitary confinement and severe torture, was sentenced first to death and later to life imprisonment by the Islamic Revolutionary Court on the charge of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) through membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK),.
2. Pakhshan Azizi, from Mahabad, was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Tehran on 4 August 2023 and is currently held in Evin Prison. The Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced her to death on the charge of “armed insurrection” (baghi) for “effective action and efforts using weapons to advance the objectives of groups that have taken up armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic and whose leadership remains active”. She was also sentenced to four years in prison on the charge of “membership in anti-state groups” through membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). Her death sentence was upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court in January 2025, and shortly afterwards her request for a retrial was rejected by Branch Nine of the Supreme Court.
3. Verisheh Moradi, from Sanandaj, was arrested on 1 August 2023 by Ministry of Intelligence agents at the entrance to Sanandaj and is now held in Evin Prison. The Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced her to death on the charge of “enmity against God” (baghi) for membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK).
4. Sakineh Parvaneh, from Quchan, was detained yet again – after multiple previous arrests – on 4 April 2023 by the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Mashhad and is currently held in Evin Prison. The Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced her to a total of seven years and six months in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state”, “assembly and collusion”, and “insulting the Supreme Leader”. This sentence was upheld by the Razavi Khorasan Province Appeals Court.
5. Srwa Pourmohammadi, a Kurdish language instructor and board member of the Nozhin Socio-Cultural Association, has been held in the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj since 19 April 2025. She was previously sentenced in November 2023 by Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj, presided over by Judge Karami, to 10 years in prison on the charge of “forming or membership in a group or organisation with the aim of disrupting national security”. This sentence was reduced to five years by the Kurdistan Province Appeals Court in December 2024.
6. Jiyan Seyran Aghaj, a Kurdish political prisoner with Turkish citizenship, was arrested in autumn 2022 in Orumiyeh and sent to Orumiyeh Central Prison after five months of interrogation. In 2023, the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced her to eight years in prison on the charge of “membership in anti-state groups”, which was reduced to five years on appeal.
7–8. Rojda Saadoun and Safiye Tursu, together with their husbands, Mazlum Arli and Fasih Karatas, and their two young children, were arrested on 24 July 2024 in Tabriz while travelling to Armenia. The families, originally political asylum-seekers living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, were transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Marivan. After initial interrogation, they were first taken to Sanandaj Prison and then transferred to Evin Prison on 26 January 2025.
In June 2025, Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced each of them to five years in prison on the charge of “membership in anti-state groups”. In August 2025, prison authorities removed the two women’s young children – who had reached the age of three – from them and handed them over to their families living in Turkey.
9. Sheyda Azizi was arrested in Sanandaj during the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June 2025 and taken to the detention facility of a security agency in the city. After initial interrogation, she was transferred to the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj. In November 2025, the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced her to three years in prison on the charge of “acting against national security” through membership in the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.
10. Hajar Saeidi, a labour activist, was transferred to the women’s ward of the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj on 28 October 2024 to serve her sentence. The Islamic Revolutionary Court had sentenced her to two years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security”, which was reduced to one year on appeal.
Previously, in August 2020, the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj had sentenced her to five years’ suspended imprisonment for a period of four years on the charge of “acting against national security” through membership in the Communist Party of Iran (Komala), participation in protest gatherings, and contact with labour activists.
After serving about one year of her sentence, Saeidi has been released under electronic monitoring and judicial supervision due to the activation of her previous suspended sentence.