A devastating wildfire in the Awyer highlands near Sine (Sanandaj) has claimed the lives of three committed environmental activists: Hamid Moradi, Chiako Yousefinejad, and Khabat Amini. These activists were severely burned while working to contain the blaze, which broke out on the afternoon of Thursday, July 24, 2025, and rapidly spread across vast stretches of natural landscape.
In the absence of meaningful government intervention, it was local volunteers and environmental defenders who rushed to the scene. Their collective efforts ultimately slowed the fire’s advance — but at a heavy cost.
Among the group that responded were civil and environmental activists: Hamid Moradi, Chiako Yousefinejad, Khabat Amini, Mohsen Hosseini-Panahi, Arias Salimi, and Seyed Mostafa Hojbari. All suffered varying degrees of burns. Hamid Moradi died on July 25, Chiako Yousefinejad succumbed to his injuries on July 27, and Khabat Amini passed away days later in intensive care at Kosar Hospital.
This tragedy is not an isolated event. In recent years, recurring wildfires across the Zagros Mountains have destroyed ecosystems, threatened biodiversity, and taken the lives of many grassroots defenders. Despite frequent warnings from activists and civil society, the Iranian government has failed to develop or fund effective wildfire response plans. There has been no serious investment in training, equipment, or support for the volunteers who now form the frontline of environmental protection in Kurdistan.
In an official statement, the Ecology Committee of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) strongly condemned the state’s negligence:
“The ruling system, through its indifference and lack of accountability, is directly responsible for the deaths of these activists. The absence of resources and structural support once again turned a preventable fire into a human disaster.”
The Ecology Committee of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) also issued a tribute, declaring Hamid Moradi a martyr of Kurdistan’s ecological struggle:
“Hamid Moradi gave his life so that the forests and lands of his homeland would not burn. His sacrifice is deeply noble and deserves the highest respect.”
The KCK further emphasized that Moradi’s commitment to preserving the environment should inspire others to carry forward the same mission.
Likewise, PJAK’s Ecology Committee extended its condolences to the families of the victims and urged the public not to leave them in grief alone. The statement called on society to recognize the sacrifices of environmental activists and to make ecological awareness and protection part of daily life.
As the natural world faces mounting threats, the courage and commitment of Hamid Moradi, Chiako Yousefinejad, and Khabat Amini serve as powerful reminders of what is at stake — and of those who are willing to risk everything to defend it.