Idris Rostami: The main reason for my membership in the PAK was the economic issues and low income in Iran.
Idris Rostami, born in 1994 in Marivan, is one those who fell into the trap of PAK and has been in this group for 4 years in order to obtain a residence card which is one of the methods used by militia in Kurdish areas of Iraq is to recruit forces and lure Iranian Kurds.
Due to the poor economic situation and unemployment in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Kurdish young people are practically forced to go to Iraq to work. This facilitates the operation of the armed forces. This method will be effective for armed group, unless the economic situation in the border and Kurdish areas of Iran improve. Mr. Rostami has become acquainted with the armed group through one of his friends and has also been associated with one of the members of the group on Instagram simultaneously. Mr. Rostami, along with two others, departed the country on April 2018 and escaped and returned to the country on May 2022, surrendering himself to the Iranian police.
Question: What factor led you to decide to join PAK?
Idris Rostami: The main reason for my membership in the PAK was the economic issues and low income in Iran. Of course, the other goal was to quit drugs. Because my contact emphasized that there is no access to drugs in PAK. I joined to find work in Erbil and be able to save a substantial amount of money by obtaining a residence card. I had no knowledge of political matters or the objectives of PAK.
Question: What promises did that individual make to you to gain if you join?
Idris Rostami: Many promises. A series of words, but none of them were important to me.
Question: How did you live there?
Idris Rostami: The conditions were clear; like a military barracks. Our task was simply attending military and political training classes, and afterwards we spent most of our time on regular duties, mostly focused on base security.
Question: Since you joined only to quit drugs there, how were you treated?
Idris Rostami: Initially, their behavior was serious. However, once they had identified my main objective, they abandoned me as they realized that I would not be a Peshmerga.
Question: What were you engaged in there?
Idris Rostami: The most I did was simply physical presence in political classes where I didn’t understand anything. In fact, I was just there.
Question: After the departure, how did you arrive in Iran and how were you treated?
Idris Rostami: When I left PAK bases, I didn’t have much money and couldn’t stay in the Kurdistan Region. Upon my arrival in Iran, nothing significant occurred. I was only invited a few times and asked a few questions.
