Joint Statement from Justice-Seeking Families of Kurdistan in Solidarity with Toomaj Salehi
At least 80 justice-seeking families of Kurdistan martyrs from the Woman, Life, Freedom movement have issued a joint statement condemning the death sentence of Toomaj Salehi as unjust and contrary to the fundamental principles of human rights. This noteworthy and rare action has united families from 25 cities across Kurdistan, including Ilam, Kermanshah (Kermashan), Islamabad Gharb (Shabad), Ghasr-e Shirin, Sanandaj (Sine), Kamyaran, Sarvabad, Dehgolan (Dewlan), Ghorveh, Divandarre, Saqqez, Marivan, Bokan, Mahabad, Piranshahr, Sardasht, Oshnavieh (Shino), and Urmia. Hengaw is publishing this statement for the first time. The full text of the statement, along with a list of signing families, has been received by Hengaw as follows:
In the name of Woman, Life, Freedom
May the pen that fails to write of the suffering endured by people break apart — Toomaj Salehi
Free Toomaj Salehi now—immediately and unconditionally!
We, a collective of justice-seeking families from Kurdistan, vehemently condemn the death sentence imposed upon Toomaj Salehi, the artist of the populace, as a vile injustice and a stark affront to the most fundamental tenets of human rights. We demand his freedom, immediate and unconditional!
Over the years, scarce an artist has echoed the collective heartbeat of society like Toomaj, who not only gives voice to his generation but lays bare the layered atrocities of oppression and injustice. He stands as 'the voice from the societal depths because the high seats are never silent' in his own words.
As members of the justice-seeking families of Kurdistan, we recognize few artists, like Toomaj, with a voice both clear and resonant, who have dared to expose the decades of systemic injustices inflicted upon Kurdistan. From championing our linguistic human rights to our mother tongues, to his outspoken opposition to the execution of Kurdish political prisoners, he has shown extraordinary sensitivity, unflinchingly empathizing with the pain of Kurdistan. These acts unmistakably demonstrate that there are still artists, insurgent voices, who place the sanctity of human life above all else.
Toomaj Salehi is a tremendous asset that the Islamic Republic, through his death sentence, seeks not only to suppress but also to serve as a dire warning to others: 'The cost of your pursuit of freedom and equality is severe. Give up. Do not show solidarity. Remain silent.'
We understand that Kurdistan will grow lonelier without the voices of Toomaj and others like him, and the broader Iranian community recognizes that without these voices, the journey towards freedom, equality, and democracy grounded in human rights becomes much more arduous. Thus, the effort to free Toomaj is not merely a campaign for one man’s liberty; it is a struggle for the well-being and prosperity of our entire society.
We, the justice-seeking families of Kurdistan, bearing an eternal scar on our hearts, call upon all families of victims who seek justice, and all the people of Iran to raise their voices, by any means necessary, against the execution sentence of Toomaj Salehi. We are also deeply concerned about the impending execution of other prisoners such as Reza Rasaei, Mojahed Kourkour, Abbas Deris, and many others who linger on death row. From political prisoners to civil rights activists, from human rights organizations to democratic advocates, from Iranian artists to artists around the globe, today we must all be the voice of Toomaj and, together, both within our borders and beyond, more fervently than ever, rally for the unconditional freedom of Toomaj Salehi and against these inhumane decrees.
Signatory Families: The families of the following victims that lost their lives during the “Jin Jian Azadi” movement have jointly signed this statement in solidarity with Toomaj Salehi.
Sanandaj:
1. Hooman Abdollahi
2. Yahya Rahimi
3. Shahou Bahmani
4. Keyvan Darvishi
5. Peyman Manbari
6. Dariush Alizadeh
7. Aryan Khoshgawar
8. Sarina Saedi
9. Zanyar Allahmoradi
10. Mohammad Amini
11. Mohammad Shariati
12. Ramin Fatehi
13. Omid Hosseini
14. Ebrahim Mirzaei
15. Aram Habibi
16. Momen Zand Karimi
Mahabad:
17. Kobra Sheikheh
18. Azad Hosseinpour
19. Seyed Kamal Ahmadipour
20. Shemal Khediripour
21. Mehran Rahmani
22. Mohammad Ahmadi Gagesh
23. Shorish Niknam
24. Shahou Khezri
25. Zanyar Abubakri
26. Faegh Mamqaderi
27. Semko (Ismaeil) Moloudi
Bokan:
28. Mohammad Hassanzadeh
29. Hiwa Janjan
30. Amjad Enayati
31. Mohammad Hajirassoulpour
32. Salar Majawar
33. Suleiman Seyed Shokri
34. Saman Ghaderbeigi
35. Shirzad Ahmadi Nezhad
36. Milad Marufi
37. Hajâr Mam Khosrawi
38. Shahriar Mohammadi
Kermanshah:
39. Sina Naderi
40. Farhad Khosrawi
41. Armin Sayyadi
Islamabad Gharb:
42. Alireza Karimi
43. Iman Mohammadi
Gilan Gharb:
44. Ardalan Ghasemi
Ilam:
45. Mohsen Gheysari
Ghasr-e Shirin:
46. Mino Majidi
Kangavar:
47. Ehsan Ghasemi
Sonqor:
48. Rouzbeh Khademyan
49. Alireza Fathi
Sahneh:
50. Sepehr Azami
Sarpol-e Zahab:
51. Ramin Karami
Salas-e Babajani:
52. Aryan Moridi
Javanrud:
53. Johar Fathi
54. Jamal Azami
Oshnavieh:
55. Milan Haghighi
56. Amin Maarafat
57. Abdulsalam Ghader Galwan
Urmia:
58. Farjad Darvishi
59. Abdullah Mahmoudpour
60. Danesh Rahnama
Sardasht:
61. Hemen Hamzeh
62. Fareshteh Ahmadi
Takab:
63. Saman Rahimi
Piranshahr:
64. Samad Barginia
65. Taher Azizi
Saqqez:
66. Ismail Dezvar
67. Daniyal Pabandi
68. Fereydoun Faraji
69. Seyed Mohammad Hosseini
70. Fereydoun Mahmoudi
Ghorveh:
71. Negin Abdolmaleki
Divandareh:
72. Habibollah Fathi
Dehgolan:
73. Mohsen Niazi
74. Reza Lotfi
75. Shadman Ahmadi
Marivan:
76. Nasrin Ghaderi
Sarvabad:
77. Isa Biglari
Mochesh:
78. Reza Kazemi
Kamyaran:
79. Borhan Karami
80. Foad Mohammadi
