953
Iran
- The coronavirus continued to spread in Iran and Iranian Kurdistan amid ongoing opacity from the Iranian regime regarding the total number of cases and fatalities. The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported 102 deaths from the virus in Iran’s Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and West Azerbaijan provinces. Kurdish organizations also continue to report a significant lack of medicine and access to medical care in Iran’s Kurdish region. Meanwhile, the Chief Justice of Iran responded to an outbreak in Iran’s Urmia Prison by sanctioning the release of prisoners who had received sentences of five years or less and had served at least 15 percent of their sentences.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj sentenced three Kurdish environmental activists for “cooperation” with the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). Arman Wafai, Faradin Karimi, and Afshen Shekhoislami were each sentenced to three months in prison and had been previously arrested for participation in anti-regime protests last November. In Mazandaran, prominent Kurdish author Mozhgan Kawsi was sentenced to seven months and 15 days in prison for “propaganda” against the regime. Kawasi previously received a sentence of five years and seven months in prison on two charges related to anti-regime activities in December 2019.
Iraq
- The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), after shutting down schools, government facilities, and private businesses, imposed a region-wide curfew to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The curfew, which includes a ban on travel between cities, went into effect last Friday and was extended for three days on Sunday. Additionally, while a few airlines continue to provide service to Iraq’s Kurdish region, all passengers who have recently traveled to nations with the coronavirus are quarantined upon arrival. Meanwhile, the KRG Ministry of Health announced six more cases of the virus in Sulaymaniyah, while five previously infected individuals were discharged from the hospital. A total of 37 cases have now been reported throughout the region, including several in Erbil. On another note, Kurdish security forces announced the arrest of two more smugglers attempting to facilitate the movement of people through the closed Iran-Iraq border.
- In Kirkuk, an IED targeting a government vehicle near an intelligence headquarters caused minor property damage. In Tuz Khurmatu, a motorcycle IED injured seven civilians, including a child. Both Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu have seen an uptick in ISIS (Da’esh) activity since Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed militias removed Kurdish Peshmerga from the region on October 16, 2017.
Syria
- The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced closure of the border crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus, though no cases have been reported in northeastern Syria so far. Ilham Ahmed, the President of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), also called for Syrian groups to cooperate in containing the virus’s spread, stating, “COVID-19 should be an opportunity for all Syrians to work together and coordinate our efforts to fight this virus. All the leaders in the world should seek dialogue and discussion rather than war.”
- Joint Russian-Turkish patrols, now escorted by Russian helicopters, continued near Kobani and Darbasiyah last week. Joint patrols also began near Idlib after Turkey and Russia agreed to a ceasefire in northwestern Syria on March 5, though the patrols were later halted due to protests from locals.
- Turkish-backed jihadists occupying the Kurdish town of Geri Spi (Tal Abyad) held anti-Turkish protests after the Turkish government failed to pay them their monthly salaries. Pro-Kurdish media outlets reported that Turkey shut down the Turkish-Syrian border to prevent the jihadists from escaping into Turkey and taking advantage of the Turkish government’s recently instituted open border policy towards Europe.
- An Iraqi refugee was murdered by unknown assailants in Syria’s al Hawl camp on Saturday. The murder is the latest in a string of criminal incidents that have occurred in the camp, which continues to house large numbers of Da’esh detainees and their relatives.
Turkey
- A US Department of State report on human rights practices in Turkey was released on March 11 and outlined numerous human rights violations perpetrated by Turkish authorities against Kurdish populations in Syria and Turkey. The report also addressed Turkish authorities’ use of “legally questionable evidence” to file criminal charges against a broad range of individuals, including journalists, opposition politicians, activists and others who criticize the Turkish government.” Citing data provided by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the report went on to discuss the arrest of 4,920 HDP “lawmakers, executives, and party members who were jailed on a variety of charges related to terrorism and political speech.”
- The HDP Commission for Justice and Human Rights called on the Turkish government to release the ill, elderly, mothers with children, and imprisoned minors to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Kurds decided to postpone planned Newroz celebrations to combat the virus. Newroz is widely regarded as the most important Kurdish holiday and is celebrated every year on March 21.