Political prisoners are held in protest to commemorate the martyrs of the May 9th execution in Rajaei-Shahr prison in Iran.
On Thursday 2014, a number of Kurdish political prisoners and other nations of Iran held a memorial ceremony to commemorate 9th May 2010, the anniversary of the execution of Ferzad Kemanger, a Kurdish teacher and his cellmates Shirin Elemhuli, Ferhad Wekili, Eli Heyderiyan and Mehdi Islamian in Rajaei-Shahr prison in Karaj.
A statement by the political prisoners has been released, stating that, “they will be on a on hunger strike all day to commemorate Ferzad and his followers.”
Ferzad Kemanger was 31 when he was detained by the security forces in July 2006 for allegedly collaborating with the Kurdish opposition groups. The government accused him of being “an enemy of god”. His mother believes that her son’s only crime was his ‘Kurdishness’ and his lawyer Xelil Behramiyan maintained that “there was not any shred of evidence” against him.
Interrogators in numerous prisons where Ferzad was held for four years, put him through severe physical and mental torture to break his resistance. Ferzad’s letters and articles about the inhumane conditions inside the prison helped to bring international condemnations from many organisations including UNICEF and the Education International which represents teachers across the globe.
On the 9th of May 2010, the Iranian regime executed Ferzad Kemanger on the charge of “enmity with God”. Some of his comrades accompanied him to the same fate. Shirin Elemhuli, Ferhad Wekili and Eli Heyderiyan were also executed along with him in Evin prison in Tehran.
Even in death, Ferzad managed to unite the people of Iran as the Kurdish region went on strike and many mourned his death across the country and in the diaspora. Fearing more unrest, the Islamic Republic, contrary to the basic tenets of Islam, refused to hand over his body and those of his co-defendants, depriving their families of a dignified burial for their loved ones.
Taking advantage of vociferous propagation at international sphere and hiding its true face behind the veil of masquerade, Rouhani’s government improved the internal setting for further violation of human rights. Critical in this context was the sharp increase in the number of execution of political prisoners occurred in the last year. It was during Rouhani’s incumbency that the Iran regime executed Kurdish political activists including Hebibullah Gulperipur, Reza Esmaili Mamedi and Sherko Mearefi and assassinated Reuf Sheykhi in his vehicle.
Although international organizations have condemned the Iranian regime for human rights violations but the pressure is more focused on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program in recent years.
Kurdish teacher Ferzad Kemanger surrounded by his pupils in the Kurdistan region
Rojhelat.info
