ANF, WAN ─ North Kurdistan (Bakur) Thousands gathered in the district of Özalp in Wan Province in order to protest the government of Iran following another execution of a Kurdish political prisoner this morning in Seqiz Prison. Sherko Maarefi, who was thirty-four years old, had been in prison since 2007 when he was sentenced to death for agitating against the regime and being an “enemy of god.” The execution was the third execution of a Kurdish political prisoner by the Iranian State in the past ten days.
Protesters carried signs voicing support for the PKK and condemning Iran as they marched close to the Iranian border. Some also carried signs reading “Murderous Free Cause Party, Get Out of Kurdistan” in response to the murder of a BDP member by individuals claiming to belong to the Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) on Saturday in Batman.
Aysel Tuğluk, a BDP MP from Wan, spoke at the protest, saying:
Whether it is for political reasons or for smuggling, Iran has executed 76 Kurds this year. Iran is not an Islamic republic; Iran is a republic of capital punishment. States do not have the right to execute people. Capital punishment is savagery. Capital punishment is a crime against humanity.
If Iran really wants to be a democratic state they must immediately stop the executions of Kurds. If not they will be unable to escape it. On the one hand Iran is trying to establish good relations with Turkey. We do not know what they spoke about with Davutoğlu (the Turkish Foreign Minister) behind closed doors class week. If they had an agreement whereby “You execute there, and we will build a wall here” – we will struggle against this until the end. Turkey should know that wherever there is a massacre directed at Kurds all Kurds will oppose it. We are also calling on Turkey to oppose these executions.
Iran is trying to provoke the Kurdish people at a time in which things are developing in Rojava and Mr. Öcalan is directing negotiations with the Turkish state and preparing for an Islamic conference. But Iran will not get any good results from these policies. Imperial powers might remain silent about these executions but the Kurdish people will not remain silent. All of this is happening because there is no legal recognition for Kurdistan. Everyone should say No to this savagery. Wherever there are Kurds, they will implement a democratic liberation and a democratic modernity.
Translated: The Rojava Report
Published: Firat News Agency