The Iranian regime is hunting Iranian Kurds from Iran, who fled the Islamic Republic’s repression to find refuge in the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq and helped defeat ISIS, Seth J. Frantzman reported in The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) consists of a small group of skilled fighters, who together with the Peshmerga, the official army of the Kurdistan region, defended the territory against ISIS at several frontlines held by Kurdish forces between 2014 and 2017.
According to PAK, four of their members have recently been killed by the Iranian regime. A man called “Malek” was poisoned. Another fighter, Arman Ghafouri, was tortured and killed. The other two PAK members were kidnapped by the regime, accused of supporting the popular uprising that have swept across Iran over the last months.
“Malek hated ISIS. He hated what they stood for and represented. I remember one day during a firefight at Bashiqa he stood there cursing them,” said a man who fought alongside him in Bashiqa. “He was a brave guy, a pure warrior.”
PAK said “Malek” was in western Iran to visit his family, when he was kidnapped by Iranian authorities. “He was caught on March 3, and was taken by the Ettela’at [intelligence services]. After many sessions of questions and a series of torture, he did not share any information and was not ready to work with the regime.” The group said he was then poisoned.
“On August 9, two other PAK members were on their way to rescue a wounded Peshmerga from PAK near Saqqez.” According to the statement, they were taken by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – an entity designated by the United States government as a terrorist organization.
In Iraq, PAK not only fought against ISIS but also targeted Iranian-backed Shiite militia forces. Their commander, Hussein Yazdanpanah, is an outspoken critic of Iran’s meddling in Iraqi internal affairs and the repressive nature of the Iranian regime.
The Islamic Republic is currently fighting off a wave of popular dissent due to an ailing economy, collapsing currency, and widespread human rights abuses. In recent months, numerous Kurdish groups have joined the protests against the regime.
[Photo: 4kurdistan / YouTube ]