Following a call by civil activists and human rights organizations active in Iranian Kurdistan, and with the support of Kurdish political parties, widespread strikes were held in many cities of Kurdistan on September 15, 2024 coinciding with the anniversary of the state-sanctioned killing of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini. These strikes, which followed recent public protests and the boycott of the presidential election in recent months, reflect the loss of legitimacy of the Islamic Republic in Kurdistan.

During the revolutionary uprising “Woman, Life, Freedom,” which erupted in protest against the state-sanctioned killing of Mahsa Amini, we witnessed the brutal suppression by the regime’s security forces. According to the Hana Human Rights Organization, at least 142 Kurdish citizens were killed, hundreds were injured, and thousands were arrested during these protests.

As the second anniversary of Zhina Amini’s state-sanctioned killing approached, the Islamic Republic did not limit its actions to merely blocking roads leading to Aichi Cemetery by deploying armed forces on the roads and releasing water from the Cheraghveis Dam to obstruct alternative routes. The regime also threatened the Amini family with arrest if they visited their daughter’s grave and created a security atmosphere in front of their house to prevent relatives and the public from gathering. These measures only highlighted the regime’s fear of public presence and its declining legitimacy in Kurdistan.

On Sunday, September 15, 2024, widespread strikes took place in the cities of Orumieyh, Mahabad, Sardasht, Oshnavieh, Bukan, Saqqez, Marivan, Divandareh, Sanandaj, Kamyaran, Kermanshah, and other cities in Kurdistan, despite mass arrests and a heavy security presence established in recent weeks. Despite the repeated threats of fines and the revocation of business licenses for shopkeepers, the strikes formed. These strikes reflected the ongoing legitimate demands of the people of Kurdistan, solidarity with the grieving families and victims, and the discrediting of the Islamic Republic in the region.

Despite the dire economic and living conditions, the strikes by merchants and shopkeepers represented yet another manifestation of the widespread public presence, which the Islamic Republic once again failed to suppress.

Hana Human Rights Organization
September 16, 2024