Press Release:

The Execution of Another Kurdish Activist by the Islamic Republic of Iran

 25 January 2002

The anti-populace regime of Islamic Republic, on Thursday morning, January 24, 2002 carried out the death-sentence of Karim Toujhali, another Kurdish activist in the yard of intelligence fortress in Mahabad, and so far (at the time of this press release, Friday evening) the authorities have refrained from handing his body over to his family.

            Mr. Toujhali was born in 1968 in the village of “Toujhal” located in the township of Sardasht; he had established contacts with PDKI in 1982, and in 1986 he joined the ranks of freedom fighters of PDKI in the Sardasht region, and he remained an active Party member until 1996.

            He resigned from his political activeness with PDKI in 1996, and to seek refuge he headed to Turkey to find a safe haven in a third country.  In 1998, Turkish police in cooperation and coordination of the intelligence pawns of Iran handed him over to the regime of Islamic Republic.  It is evident that it is not the first time that the Turkish police have outreach the Islamic Republic for handing over freedom activists, and have caused their imprisonment and execution.  Mr. Toujhali was under inquiry and torture from his detainment to his execution in the prisons of Mahabad, Sardasht and Urumieh.

            The execution of Mr. Toujhali took place while he had resigned from political activeness, and contrary to regime’s claims, on one hand, it is an indication of cruelty and aggressiveness of the regime against the Kurdish combatants, and on the other hand it is a sign of another emerging wave of executing Iranian Kurdish freedom activists that currently a large number of them are held in the prisons of the regime.

            We, along with condemning this crime, we expect from all the Iranian and world freedom activists, organization defending human rights, and all the international humanitarian associations to endeavor to divulge the latest crime of the regime of Islamic republic and prevent the killing of Iranian freedom activists, particularly the Kurds, and demand from the Turkish government to prevent further hand-over of Kurdish refugees to the regime of Islamic Republic of Iran.

The regime of Islamic Republic must also know well that imprisonment, torture, massacring opponents and intellectual, have not frightened the devotees and followers of freedom and will not disappoint and discourage them from fighting against the regime.

We along with expressing our deep sadness against this crime, convey our condolences to the family members of comrade Toujhali, the people of Sardasht region, and all the sympathizers, members, cadres and freedom fighters of our Party.

Political Bureau of

Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan