Dissident protests continue in Iran

The repressive forces of the regime are on high alert

According to news obtained by the International Relations Bureau of PDKI:

1-     The regime of Islamic Republic, frightened by the protests of the people of our country, to suppress any dissident movement of the people of Kurdistan has put its repressive forces on high alert, and has stationed special forces in most of the cities of Iranian Kurdistan.  Portions of these squads, along with being stationed in the susceptible areas, patrol the cities of Kurdistan, and some of them have been positioned in revolutionary guards headquarters, so at urgencies with their cooperation, they can contain the uprisings.  According to similar report, in some of the Kurdish cities, the regime has re-armed the reservists and paramilitaries so use them to crack down on the protesters in the Kurdish cities.  Similar report indicated that the intelligence apparatus of the regime patrol the Kurdish cities routinely and communicate with the special riot units.

2-     The regime has deployed an unprecedented number of revolutionary guards in the border cities of Mriwan and Saghez in Shiler region located within these cities of Iranian Kurdistan and Panjwen of Iraqi Kurdistan; moreover, the construction of new barracks and military bases are underway. The intensity of the troops is to the extent that the roads in this region are completely cut-off.

3-     The latest unrests have affected all aspects of life in a way that even real estates are not exempted.  According to reliable sources, sales of properties (home and land) has faced its lowest ever, and the rich especially the revolutionary guards and local paramilitaries are struggling to sell their properties.

4-     The students at the Teachers’ College of the University of Sanadaj organized a demonstration on Thursday night (10 June 2003) to use the lack of coolers in dormitories to protest in support of the dissident movement of the universities all over Iran.  The university officials requested assistance from the security forces and anti-riot troops to contain the crowd.  The arrival of these forces into the campus angered the students to the extent that they threw rocks and bottles at the forces from inside the buildings.  The regime’s forces succeeded in dispersing the students using brutal beatings and firing in the air.  In the realm of this uprising, several students were detained charged with ‘disorder and riots’ that their where-abouts are not known so far.

5-     On 22 June 2003, Sunday afternoon, a considerable number of people from the city of Mahabad, also in support of the dissident movement of the students, gathering in the centre of the city, especially in Azaday square, with slogans against the regime of Islamic Republic and in the benefit of the Kurdish movement, attempted to distribute the portrait of Dr. Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou among the people.   The security forces aided by the special anti-riot units encircled the demonstrators; however, they avoided confrontation with the protesters, so the crowd dispersed.

6-     The students of Kurdistan University (Sanandaj) in support of the dissident movement of the students in Iran attempted to gather in university campus on Saturday, 21 June 2003, and along with chanting slogans against the regime demanded the release of the detained students.  The special units and the security forces following their arrivals and giving warnings tried to disperse the students; however, the students continued their protests in the campus.  The security forces, attempting to prevent the students joining the general public, surrounded the university.  Following two days of protests, the anti-riot special units attacked the students, which resulted in the death of one student and the detainment of 150, and the university fell under the occupation of the cruel forces of the regime.  Currently, protests are underway in the ‘Mordabiyan’ parts of the city of Sanandaj.

7-     The security forces in all the Kurdish regions are on high alert, and most of the recruits have been ordered to work two shifts.

Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan

International Relations Bureau

Paris, 24 June 2003

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