Behzad Khasrawi, a 35-year-old activist from Saqqez in Iran's Kurdistan Province, was detained by the Kurdistan Region Security Agency in Sulaymaniyah and then handed over to Iranian authorities
'At his own request'
Kurdish political activist allegedly handed over to Iran by Sulaymaniyah security forces
SULAYMANIYAH — The Kurdistan Region Security Agency handed over a Kurdish political activist to Iranian authorities after detaining him in Sulaymaniyah last week, claiming it was done at his request. However, a human rights organization monitoring Kurdish issues in Iran alleges the activist was forcibly extradited.
On Thursday, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported that “Behzad Khasrawi, a 35-year-old activist from Saqqez in Iran’s Kurdistan Province, was detained by the Kurdistan Region Security Agency in Sulaymaniyah last week, tortured severely, and then handed over to Iranian authorities.”
According to Hengaw, Khasrawi “was transferred to the custody of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” citing “reliable sources” that said, “On Sept. 1, 2024, the Iranian intelligence office in Sanandaj contacted Khasrawi’s brother to inform him that his brother was in their custody.”
Hengaw also reported that Khasrawi’s mother and sister, identified as Hadeqa Hosseini and Begard Khasrawi, were informed by Sulaymaniyah security forces that Khasrawi had been detained for posting pictures of Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan leaders on social media. Additionally, Hengaw stated, “The security forces pressured the family, who reside in Sulaymaniyah, to leave the city within 10 days.”
In response, the Kurdistan Region Security Agency denied that Khasrawi was forcibly handed over, stating that he “requested to return to Iran.” The agency said in a statement that “Behzad Khasrawi was arrested in Sulaymaniyah due to the absence of proper residency and stay permits.” The agency’s investigation found that “Khasrawi lacked the necessary documentation for residency and stay in the Kurdistan Region and had no political affiliations.”
The agency added, “Following his arrest, at his own request, Behzad Khasrawi asked to return to the Islamic Republic of Iran.” They also noted that a legal affidavit was obtained, confirming Khasrawi’s desire to return to Iran, and that all legal procedures for his repatriation were carried out through the Directorate of Residency in Sulaymaniyah governorate.
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan on Saturday refuted claims by the Kurdistan Region Security Agency, asserting that Behzad Khosrawi, a party member, was “handed over to the Iranian Intelligence Office in Sanandaj by the Kurdistan Region Security Agency.”
According to the PDKI’s Central Organization, Khosrawi was “summoned twice by the Kurdistan Region Security Agency in Sulaymaniyah over the past two weeks.” During the second summons, he was detained, and after several days in custody, was transferred to Iranian intelligence authorities in Sanandaj.
The party refuted claims that he lacked residency permits, saying that “Behzad Khosrawi and his family have resided in Sulaymaniyah, within the Kurdistan Region, for over 10 years. They had obtained residency permits, and their stay was fully legal and in accordance with regional regulations.”
The PDKI also stated that Khosrawi was registered as a political asylum seeker with the UNHCR in the Kurdistan Region. The party emphasized, “For the past seven years, he and his family have been members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.” They also asserted, “Khosrawi had always lived within the legal framework of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Sulaymaniyah, and no violations had been recorded against him that would warrant a court decision.”
This development comes amid increasing pressure from the Islamic Republic of Iran on Kurdish Iranian opposition parties, who are being forced to evacuate their strongholds in Sulaymaniyah and relocate to a designated, controlled camp within the governorate, officials said Thursday.
