Hengaw’s Statement on Threats to its Members’ Lives by Security Institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Hengaw: Sunday, April 7, 2024
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights wishes to inform all human rights organizations, civil activists, media outlets, and concerned individuals about the grave threats to the lives of its members posed by the security apparatus of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In recent actions by the security forces of Iran, several members of the Hengaw board of directors, including Arsalan Yarahmadi and Jila Mostajer, a resident of Erbil (Hawler), the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, have been directly threatened with forced disappearances and murder by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Hengaw has recently reported a high probability of the enforced disappearance of one of its colleagues, Hossein Bagheri (known as Jakan Baran), by Iranian authorities. A suspected collaborator with the IRGC has threatened to harm Arsalan Yarahmadi, Jila Mostajer, and their families, stating intent to carry out such actions through the Quds forces and the Ramadan headquarters, regardless of their location, whether in Iraq or abroad.
Additionally, two weeks have elapsed since the disappearance of Jakan Baran, a former political prisoner and Hengaw colleague in Ilam. Despite efforts by Hengaw and Baran’s friends, no accurate information about his condition has surfaced. Baran vanished two weeks ago while traveling to Turkey near the Kurdistan Region of the Iraq border, with those responsible for his transfer refusing to provide any information, thus heightening suspicions of his enforced disappearance.
In recent weeks, Hengaw has faced unprecedented cyber attacks from Iranian forces and their affiliates, targeting social networks and private messages. These attacks often label Hengaw and its members as “terrorists,” “separatists,” and “nationalists,” threatening their elimination.
Hengaw warns civil society and pro-democracy activists in Iran, as well as mainstream media, about the crucial importance of maintaining the integrity and independence of Kurdistan’s civil and human rights institutions. These organizations, devoid of factional, party, or political affiliations, serve both Kurdistan and Iran. By undermining civil activism and disseminating misinformation about human rights abuses in Iran, these attacks seek to normalize the killing and forced disappearance of Hengaw members worldwide.
Since the inception of the Jin Jiyan Azadi/Woman, Life, Freedom movement, Hengaw has expanded its activities to document and report human rights violations throughout Iran. Consequently, security pressures on its members have escalated significantly. Notably, a channel affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Guards Corps even conducted a survey on methods to assassinate Arsalan Yarahmadi, one of Hengaw’s founders.
Expressing profound concern for the safety of its members and colleagues, particularly those residing in insecure regions, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights issues a grave warning to safeguard their lives. It implores civil society in Iran, the media, and all human rights organizations and activists to amplify awareness of these threats against Hengaw activists.
