NEWSDESK, — Tomorrow the 22nd February is the anniversary of the Kurdish uprising in East Kurdistan following the illegal abduction of the Kurdish national leader Abdullah Ocalan.
To protest against the international conspiracy of 15 February which led to abduction of Ocalan, the Kurdish people in East Kurdistan and some Iranian cities poured to the streets in an unprecedented manner.
The East of Kurdistan was one of the parts of country in which the Kurdish people from elderly to youths stood firm behind Ocalan and despite the militaristic atmosphere the Iranian government imposed on the society, they poured to the streets and expressed their anger at the international conspiracy.
On 22 February 1999 the Kurdish people in Sine city organised a huge protest. Although the demonstrators had the permission to rally, but few hours after the beginning of the protest, the permission was withdrawn. But the people continued their protestation and displayed their loyalty to Ocalan.
Abdullah Ramazanzade the then city governor of Sine, ordered to open fire on the demonstrators. Tens of Kurdish people were killed when the Islamic Revolution Guards opened fire on the demonstrators.
In the meantime, the Kurdish people throughout East Kurdistan including the cities of Kirmashan, Meriwan, Urmiye, Mako, Mehabad, Bokan, Selmas, Seqiz, Piranshar, Shino and Serdesht poured to the streets and denounced the 15 February conspiracy and stood behind Ocalan.
In the city of Meriwan, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards attacked demonstrators and killed four of them.
In the city of Urmiye also, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards raided the demonstrators and killed three people.
The families of the victims were not allowed to have funeral ceremonies for their slain ones.
Few days following the massacres, the Mousavi Lari the Interior Minister of Khatemi’s cabinet, overtly endorsed the massacre in a speech he made in the Iranian parliament.