A Digest of Events in the Kurdistan Regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
In a new wave of repression targeting the Kurdish population, Iranian authorities have carried out a secret execution, issued multiple prison sentences, and arrested dozens of Kurdish activists, cultural figures, and community leaders across Rojhelat (Iranian Kurdistan).
On April 20, 2025, Hamid Hoseinnezhad Heidaranlou, a 40-year-old Kurdish political prisoner and father of three from Chaldoran, was executed in secrecy at Urmia Central Prison. Arrested in April 2023 near the Chaldoran border, Heidaranlou endured nearly two years of harsh detention marked by solitary confinement, torture, and denial of legal representation and family visits. Despite clear passport records showing he was outside Iran on the day of the alleged armed clash, he was sentenced to death on charges of baghi (armed rebellion) due to alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the conviction was based solely on the presiding judge’s personal “knowledge,” delivered in a trial lasting only minutes without any credible evidence.
Human rights organizations and Kurdish political parties have strongly condemned the execution, calling it a gross miscarriage of justice. They assert that Heidaranlou was subjected to fabricated charges and forced confessions obtained under torture. His execution came just weeks after he handed his family documents he claimed proved his innocence.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Supreme Court has rejected a second retrial request for Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish journalist and political prisoner currently held in Evin Prison. Sentenced to death on June 14, 2024, on baghi charges, Azizi now faces imminent execution. Her lawyer, Maziar Tataei, revealed that the court rejected the request without reviewing trial documents, dismissing the defense arguments as baseless. The court had already denied a first retrial request in February. In addition to the death sentence, authorities handed Azizi a six-month sentence in a separate case for allegedly “instigating unrest in prison.” Azizi was originally arrested on August 4, 2023, in Tehran and transferred to Evin Prison that December.
In a continued crackdown on Kurdish cultural figures, Iranian authorities also imprisoned Srveh Pourmohammadi, a 36-year-old Kurdish language instructor and member of the NGO Nojin. She was taken into custody on April 19, 2025, in Senna and transferred to the women’s ward of Senna Central Prison to begin serving a five-year sentence. Initially sentenced to ten years in November 2023 by Branch 1 of the Senna Revolutionary Court for allegedly “forming a group to disrupt national security,” the Court of Appeals later reduced the sentence, with the final verdict issued in November 2024.
Additionally, Shohreh Ghamar, a 32-year-old Kurdish actress from Bijar and resident of Tehran, was sentenced to 56 months in prison for her political and social activism. On April 12, 2025, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced her to three years and six months for “supporting Israel” and another 14 months for “spreading false information in support of the Women, Life, Freedom movement and inciting public opinion.” Authorities had previously sentenced Ghamar to 15 months for her vocal support of the same movement. Her lawyer has filed an appeal against the latest ruling. Ghamar was originally arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence on August 5, 2023, over alleged “offensive” social media posts.
Iraq
On April 23, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot paid an official visit to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where he met with senior Kurdish leaders and reaffirmed France’s longstanding partnership with the Kurdish people.
During his visit, Minister Barrot held separate meetings with President Nechirvan Barzani and other Kurdish leaders from various political parties. He was accompanied by French Ambassador to Iraq Patrick Durel and French Consul in Erbil Jean Brami. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, political developments in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and regional issues including the situation in Syria and efforts to promote peace and stability.
In his meeting with Masoud Barzani, former President of Kurdistan and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Minister Barrot expressed France’s continued solidarity with the Kurdish people. The two leaders discussed the urgent need to form a new cabinet in the Kurdistan Region, the state of Erbil-Baghdad relations, and broader regional dynamics. Both emphasized the importance of Kurdish unity in Syria and welcomed recent efforts aimed at peaceful resolution in Turkey.
Minister Barrot commended the resilience of the Kurdish people and reiterated France’s commitment to supporting democratic institutions and ongoing reforms. He extended an official invitation to President Masoud Barzani to visit Paris for a ceremony dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of Peshmerga forces in the fight against terrorism.
Highlighting France’s regional engagement, Barrot also emphasized his country’s “strong collaboration in supporting General Mazloum and the Kurdish political entities in Syria,” noting that such efforts aim to foster Kurdish unity and “positively influence the sustainable transition process in the region.”
Later that same day, Minister Barrot met with General Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who was also in the Kurdistan Region on an official visit. According to a statement released by the SDF, Minister Barrot praised the SDF’s key role in the fight against ISIS and underscored France’s commitment to providing all necessary support. The meeting also emphasized the need for inclusive political participation by Kurds and all Syrian communities to achieve lasting political, security, and economic stability in Syria and to pave the way for national reconstruction.
Separately, the U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce called for the immediate resumption of Kurdish oil exports, which have been halted since March 2023 due to an International Chamber of Commerce ruling in favorite of Iraq, Bruce told Kurdistan24 the urgency of restoring operations through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, stating, “It is critical that the Government of Iraq and all potential parties agree to restart” the pipeline.
Her stementat marks the most recent emphasis by the US on the issue since the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) accused Baghdad of unilaterally violating the contractual terms governing Kurdish oil exports.
Meanwhile, months after the elections, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet has yet to be formed, as negotiations continue between the two main winning parties—the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). This political deadlock unfolds as Iraq’s House of Representatives has scheduled the 2025 parliamentary elections for November 11. Thousands of parties and independent candidates have already registered to participate. However, it remains unclear whether the Kurdish parties will run on a unified list in the disputed territories, including Kirkuk and parts of Diyala and Nineveh provinces.
Syria
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the successful rescue of a young Yazidi man, Othman Khairu Khodi Da, during a special operation. Othman was abducted by ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists during their brutal 2014 attack on Shinal (Sinjar), an assault that has been recognized as a genocide against the Yazidi people. Captured at the age of eight, Othman recounted being separated from his family and subjected to religious and military training by Da’esh in Iraq and Syria for over a decade. He was eventually injured in a landmine explosion and survived a coalition airstrike in late 2024.
Separately, in a continued effort to counter terrorism and enhance regional stability, Internal Security Forces in North and East Syria, along with the Women’s Security Forces and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), concluded a six-day security operation in al-Hol Camp, with support from the SDF.
Launched on April 18, the operation targeted ISIS sleeper cells and aimed to dismantle terrorist networks operating within and around the camp. Meticulous sweeps and targeted raids were carried out in multiple sectors of the camp, along with special operations beyond its perimeter.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 20 Da’esh terrorists and collaborators, the seizure of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment. Security forces also foiled a coordinated mass escape attempt involving cells inside and outside the camp, apprehending all involved individuals.
Additionally, the Women’s Security Forces conducted a separate operation against a high-risk Da’esh cell that was actively planning terrorist attacks in coordination with external groups.
Politically, the upcoming Kurdish Unity Conference, scheduled for April 26, will bring together all Kurdish parties, organizations, and prominent public figures in Syria. The conference aims to foster dialogue and coordination around a shared vision for the future structure of the Syrian state, with a particular focus on securing collective national rights for the Kurdish people.
Earlier this month, in a significant step toward unity, the ruling coalition and the Kurdish National Council—despite operating outside the current governance framework—jointly expressed support for a federal system in Syria. This proposal seeks to ensure constitutional protections for Kurdish rights within a restructured Syrian state.
Turkey
In a speech during the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party’s (DEM) weekly parliamentary group meeting, Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan reaffirmed his party’s commitment to the peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The address comes amid growing calls for national unity, democratic reform, and a renewed approach to resolving the decades-long Kurdish issue. Bakırhan highlighted the broad solidarity shown for peace activist and former İmralı Delegation member Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who recently suffered a heart attack. He described the unprecedented unity expressed by all segments of Turkish society—including government officials, opposition leaders, and Kurdish communities—as a reflection of a collective desire for peace.
“The public’s emotional response has become a common denominator for peace,” he stated, adding, “Peace is the healing of a society.” The Co-Chair confirmed that a party delegation had recently visited PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı Island. According to Bakırhan, Öcalan conveyed optimism about the current climate and called for steps that could accelerate the peace process. Öcalan reportedly emphasized that the next few weeks could be crucial and that both sides must act decisively to build lasting solutions.
DEM Party’s İmralı Delegation—comprising Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder—met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 10. In an official statement, the party described the meeting as “positive, constructive, productive, and promising for the future.” Both sides acknowledged the importance of the current phase and emphasized the vital need for a new era free of violence and conflict, focused on strengthening democratic and political avenues.