Two Members of Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan Assassinated in Iraqi Kurdistan

Two members of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran were assassinated by an individual who was himself a former member of the party in Iraqi Kurdistan.

According to the human rights organization “Hengaw,” at one o’clock in the morning on Friday, the 16th of Tir, in the tourist village of “Helshaw” in Qalladze district of Sulaimani province in Iraqi Kurdistan, two members of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran named “Luqman Aji” known as “Luqman Gorgoli” and “Adel Qadri” known as “Sardar Mohajer,” both natives of Piranshahr, were assassinated by a person named “Rasoul Azarkhash.”

Following investigations, it became clear that Rasoul Azarkhash, after assassinating the aforementioned individuals, immediately fled to the border and surrendered to Islamic Republic security forces stationed at the “Qalladze” border. It should be noted that “Rasoul Azarkhash” is a native of Naghdeh who was himself a former member of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran and had returned to Iran six years ago following his separation from the party, subsequently joining the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Rasoul Azarkhash had recently returned to Kurdistan under the pretext of job searching. Since he had prior acquaintance with the assassinated individuals, he arranged a friendly meeting with them in a tourist area and then proceeded to assassinate them.

Additionally, during this incident, a political activist named “Saadi Moradpour,” who was a former member of the Democratic Party, was also seriously wounded.

The leadership of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran and Iraq have made no official statements or announcements regarding this assassination thus far. This lack of announcement comes despite the fact that security personnel of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly carried out assassinations of Iranian Kurdish political and human rights activists on Iraqi Kurdish soil over the past decades.

Since the beginning of nationwide protests, many Iranian Kurds have also been killed by security forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.