"General strike" in Sanandaj to protest the execution of Heydar Ghorbani and "state murder"

Following a call by a number of Kurdish civil society activists for a general strike in the cities of Kurdistan to protest the execution of political prisoner Heydar Ghorbani, many people in Sanandaj stayed home on Thursday, January 2nd.

An hour later, videos from the cities of Baneh and Bukan were published on the same subject.

Kurdish civil society activists issued a statement on Tuesday, December 20, calling on people in various cities in Kurdistan to stay home and avoid going to work on Thursday to condemn the execution of Heydar Ghorbani and protest the Islamic Republic's policy of "denial, suppression, and intimidation."

Part of this statement, referring to the death sentences handed down to several other Kurdish political prisoners, stated that "with such a strike, we can take action to cancel and reduce their unjust sentences."

According to a video report by the human rights website Hengaw, many shops in Sanandaj remained closed on Thursday and the city was completely deserted.

On Thursday, videos from the cities of Baneh and Bukan were posted on social media, showing closed shops and markets.

Heydar Ghorbani, a political prisoner who had previously been charged with "rebellion, participation in the intentional murder of three people," and membership in groups opposed to the Islamic Republic, was secretly executed in Sanandaj Prison on Sunday, December 18, despite domestic and international protests.

Following the publication of news of Heydar Ghorbani's secret execution, a significant crowd of residents of the city of Kamyaran gathered in front of his house on Sunday, despite threats from the Islamic Republic's security agencies.

In response to Mr. Ghorbani's execution, two UN experts issued a statement on Wednesday, January 1, condemning his secret execution and calling it a sign of Iran's "blatant disregard" for its obligations under international human rights law.

Source: Radio Farda