Sanandaj

This page keeps the memory of 166 people of Sanandaj, the capital of the province of Kurdistan; from 27 Khordad 1388 to 27 Mordad 1405. 109 of them were executed and 35 were killed in protests. 8 people lost their lives in custody and 5 people were killed by government forces outside the protests. 6 people are at risk of execution, 2 people have been sentenced to death and the sentence of one person has been upheld.

Years and days

The year 1401, with 34 names, is the heaviest year of Sanandaj, and after it come 1404 with 27 names, 1398 with 19 names and 1399 with 17 names. The year 1392 with 14 names and the year 1402 with 13 names also have a notable share. Two days have 6 names each: 18 Mehr 1392 and 4 Aban 1401. The days 5 Bahman 1392 and 16 Mehr 1401 have 4 names each, and 18 Dey 1393 has 3 names. The ages range from 16 to 70 years, and the median is 30 years. 4 people were under 18, and the sources have written of 19 people that they were women.

Sarina Saedi and Mohammadarian Khoshgovar

Sarina Saedi, 16 years old, was in the ninth grade; “a 16-year-old adolescent who dreamed of becoming a doctor or a university professor.” She had written: “I want to become a useful person for myself, my family and my society.” On 4 Aban 1401 she was wounded by baton blows and lost her life in hospital one day later. Her mother was put under pressure to give a different account in front of the camera, but she said: “I will not sell my daughter's blood.”

Mohammadarian Khoshgovar, 17 years old, a student of building services, worked in his father's cabinet-making workshop and fancy bread shop. Those close to him considered him “calm, intelligent and hard-working.” On the way home he was wounded with a knife and batons, remained in a coma for four months and lost his life on 24 Esfand 1401.

Mehr 1401

Peyman Menbari, 25 years old, made stainless steel railings and “had recently become engaged to the person he had loved for six years.” Yahya Rahimi, 31 years old, was a tiler and had been married for one year; he and his wife dreamed of building their house on the land they had bought. Mohammad Amini, 39 years old, was a building contractor and was building a house for himself in order to start a family. All three were killed on 16 Mehr 1401. Yahya's father has said: “My son has been killed; I want the killer, I want nothing else.” Zanyar Allahmoradi, 25 years old, a worker and an electrical engineering student, was also killed in Aban 1401; those close to him say: “Zanyar never wanted anyone to be harmed.”

Execution and death in custody

Sharareh Elyasi, 22 years old, who had married at 16 because of her family's poverty, was executed on 22 Aban 1397 in Sanandaj Central Prison. An acquaintance has described her as “beautiful, cheerful, warm-hearted, kind and well-dressed.” Shoresh Mehdikhani, 26 years old, a builder's apprentice, was executed on 8 Mordad 1388, and Abubakr Shafei, 49 years old, “married and with 6 children,” on 12 Mordad 1388. Ali Moradi, a construction worker, helped his children while in prison by washing dishes for others. Saro Ghahremani, 24 years old, who had returned to Sanandaj to prepare for his wedding, lost his life in the detention centre of the intelligence office; his mother has said that “signs of bruising” could be seen on his body. Raouf Sheikhi, 22 years old, was riddled with gunfire in a taxi on 24 Bahman 1391. The charges on this page are what the authorities stated, not a verdict of guilt.

Sources and incompleteness

166 names are not all of those from Sanandaj who lost their lives; the real number is higher, and our list contains only names that have a source. The main sources are the Kurdistan Human Rights Network with 96 cases, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center with 79, the Iran Human Rights Society with 73, Persian Wikipedia with 34, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (English-language) with 31, HRANA with 22, English Wikipedia with 17, iranhrs.org with 11, Hengaw with 10 and IranWire with 7 cases. Some entries have one source. If you knew one of these people of Sanandaj, send us your memory or correction.