EASTERN KURDISTAN NEWS / INFORMATION

[Anthea]

The conflict in East Kurdistan after the Iranian revolution 1979

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, a sharp and bloody conflict situation quickly emerged in the Kurdish regions of northwestern Iran. The Kurdish groups, who have long fought for recognition, autonomy and cultural rights, were confronted by the new Islamic republic with brutal repression.

The government's response was far from meeting the people's demands for democracy and self-government — instead, extensive mass executions of young Kurds were carried out in cities such as Pawe, Saqez, Mariwan and Sanandaj.

This was part of a systematic strategy to crush the resistance through military violence and terror.

Several attempts for dialogue and negotiations were initiated between Kurdish leaders and representatives of the Iranian regime. However, these conversations, led by, among others, Sheikh Ezzadin Hosseini, failed repeatedly - not because of the Kurds' unwillingness, but because the regime lacked genuine will to compromise.

Documents and testimonies show that the government actually used the negotiations as a tactical tool to win time, rally forces and weaken Kurdish movements. In addition, the regime was characterized dealing with conflict of internal power struggles, where different factions had different views on the extent of repression and the resolution of the conflict.

In this complex and violent context, Sheikh Ezzadin played a crucial role. As the leader of the Kurdish delegation, he was a prominent secular and pragmatic player, whose goal was to unite the Kurdish groups and advance their demands for democracy, rights and autonomy in a peaceful and inclusive way.

Unlike the religiously-ruled regime, Sheikh Ezzadin represented a secular vision for the future of the Kurds, where the fight for equality and human rights took centre stage — beyond religious and ideological distinctions.

He demanded that the government recognize political organizations like Komala and Fedayeen and that the negotiations be held on equal terms, without the Kurds being forced to hide their political composition or give up their legitimate demands.

Despite hard pressures and the government attempts to undermine the conversations through manipulation and suspicion, Sheikh Ezzadin held to his principles.

His integrity and unwillingness to compromise the rights of the Kurds were used as a pretext to break the talks,
which clarifies the regime's unwillingness to recognize the political legitimacy of the Kurds.

Sheikh Ezzadin thus became a symbol of peaceful resistance and dialogue in a time when conflict was characterized by repression and violence.

His secular leadership contributed to creating a broader collection of Kurdish forces under a common umbrella, and he represented the will of the Kurdish people in an attempt to build a future based on democracy, justice and respect for human rights, despite the harsh regime that in reality planned continued military confrontation.

[Anthea]

An Urgent Call for International Action
Environmental and Humanitarian Crisis in Eastern Kurdistan

Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat Kurdistani) stands today at the precipice of an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe of international significance. Far from being a localized or internal matter, the crisis unfolding in this region represents a profound violation of international legal norms and human dignity

The Iranian state’s exploitative policies, particularly intensive mining and extractive practices, have resulted in severe ecological degradation, threatening both the land’s natural equilibrium and the survival of its inhabitants.

At issue are not merely questions of environmental mismanagement but the deliberate undermining of a people’s right to sustainable development, health, and security.

Contamination of water sources, deforestation, destruction of agricultural capacity, and hazardous working conditions have combined to create a multidimensional crisis. The cumulative impact is the erosion of community resilience, the displacement of populations, and mounting public health emergencies.

Addressing this crisis requires a coordinated international response:

First: an independent investigative mission must be dispatched to Eastern Kurdistan, composed of experts in environmental science, public health, and international law.

Such a body must assess the full scale of environmental destruction and its human consequences, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Second: the international community must exert political and economic pressure on the Iranian government to halt destructive exploitation and to recognize the ecological and human rights of the Kurdish people.

Third: affected populations require urgent legal, medical, and humanitarian support to safeguard their basic human rights and survival.

Finally: this issue must be elevated onto the global agenda of international human rights and environmental councils.

Recognition of the Eastern Kurdistan crisis is vital, both to prevent irreversible damage in the region and to establish a global precedent against such violations. Silence in the face of this unfolding catastrophe would not merely be neglect; it would be complicity.

The time for decisive action is now

[Anthea]

Email to UN Offices
UN EMAIL :
infodesk@ohchr.org
unepinfo@unep.org
Subject: Urgent Action Needed: Environmental & Humanitarian Crisis in Eastern Kurdistan
Dear : Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) For human rights violations, public health & environmental-human rights intersections.
Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat) is facing an imminent environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. Intensive mining and extractive operations by the Iranian state have caused severe ecological damage, deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination and jeopardized the health and livelihoods of local communities. Peaceful civic resistance is being suppressed, further exacerbating human rights violations.
We urgently request the United Nations to:
• Dispatch an independent investigative mission to assess environmental and human rights impacts.
• Apply diplomatic and economic pressure on the Iranian government to halt destructive activities.
• Provide legal, medical, and humanitarian support to affected communities.
• Elevate this crisis formally on the agendas of relevant UN bodies to ensure accountability.
Immediate action is critical to prevent irreversible harm. Silence from the international community would amount to complicity. Eastern Kurdistan’s people call upon the UN to uphold its mandate to protect human rights and the environment.
Respectfully,
[Name / Organization]
[Contact Information]

[Anthea]

Repression and Environmental
Crisis in Eastern Kurdistan

We, the Pîrs, cadres, and members of the Kurdish National Zagrosian Revival (KNZR), raise our voice with clarity and resolve against the crimes committed in Eastern Kurdistan by The Islamic Republic

We denounce both the violent suppression of peaceful protesters and the systematic destruction of the environment—twin injustices that together endanger the life, dignity, and future of our people.

To the international community, to human rights organizations, and to all who uphold justice and freedom:

In recent months, the sons and daughters of Saqqez have taken to the streets in peaceful protest. Their demands are not radical but profoundly just: an end to the environmental devastation wrought by gold-mining corporations. These operations have annihilated pastures and farmland, poisoned rivers, the very arteries of life in Zagros and now threaten the very survival of local communities

Instead of listening to these legitimate voices, the Iranian authorities responded with brute force. Peaceful demonstrators were attacked with violence, leaving one martyr fallen and many injured.

This is not merely a violation of human rights; it is the criminal convergence of political repression and ecological destruction, a double assault against both the people of Zagros and the land that sustains them.

We, the KNZR, affirm:

The suppression of our people and the poisoning of our homeland are inseparable crimes. They reveal the systematic policy of Tehran: to silence Kurdish demands with bullets while selling Kurdistan’s rivers, soil, and mountains to profiteers. Such actions constitute a deliberate strategy of erasure of culture, livelihood, and environment alike.

Therefore, we demand:

• Immediate cessation of all mining activities that devastate the land, poison rivers, and threaten the survival of communities in Saqqez and beyond.

• An independent international investigation into the killings and injuries inflicted upon peaceful protesters, with prosecution of those responsible before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

• Recognition of the Kurdish people’s right to peaceful expression, protest, and defense of their environment, with binding guarantees that such crimes not be repeated.

• Compensation and justice for all families and individuals harmed by both environmental destruction and state repression.

Our Call:

We appeal to the conscience of the international community: Do not remain silent. What is at stake in Eastern Kurdistan is not merely a local struggle but a universal principle,that no government may trample upon its citizens’ rights while destroying the environment for profit. The rivers, mountains, and people of Zagros are not commodities; they are part of humanity’s shared heritage.

We condemn, with full force, the martyrdom and injury of the children of Zagros. We stand with Saqqez, and we declare that no amount of repression will extinguish the rightful demands of our people or the eternal bond between land and nation.

Kurdish National Zagrosian Revival (KNZR)
Zagros Center for Strategic Research