Fatemeh Choupanposht joined PAK with her two-year-old son.
According to the IKHRW from Bukan, one of the social problems in Kurdish areas of Iran is forced marriage, family disputes and inappropriate behavior towards women and girls. In fact, the Kurdish woman is forced to seek refuge with an armed group to escape social disorder and jeopardizes her future. Believing that life, love, power, and respect exist within the armed group.
The subject today for IKHRW reporter is residing in Bukan and having membership in the PAK.
Fatemeh Choupanposht, daughter of Abdullah and born in 1982, joined the armed group of Pak during her illegal departure from Iran in August 2016 and returned to the country and surrendered herself in June 2018. She has married twice and has two daughters from the first marriage and one son (Artin) from the second marriage. She joins PAK with her two-year-old son. However, with repeated visits, her second husband manages to retrieve the son and she herself successfully escapes from the hospital under the pretext of illness.
Reporter of IKHRW: Ms. Fatemeh Choupanposht! When did you become a member of PAK? What happened that made you join this group with a child?
Fatemeh Choupanposht: It was August 2016 and after two years, in 2018, I returned! In fact, I escaped. But what led me to decide to become a member, was due to family disputes! I had a lot of disputes with my former husband. During that time, when I was searching on Instagram, I came across the photos and videos of this group. Curiously, I contacted with a woman named (Biriwan Herki). We talked a lot and gradually she got closer to me. Then she suggested I could become a member of this group and they could provide me a calmer life. So that I can live peacefully with my son.
I knew nothing about this group. I had only seen their photos and videos and only knew them as Peshmerga. But what a Peshmerga! All are killers.
Reporter of IKHRW: What hardships did you endure in PAK headquarters?
I was accompanying my 2-year-old child in a military base in the middle of the mountains with minimal facilities. Throughout the day, I had to participate in their educational classes while holding my son. We were also obliged to watch over. After a while, as we were moving heavy equipment, both of my hands suffered serious muscular problems, and sometimes due intense pain, I couldn’t even shake my fingers. Because of that, after a lot of pleas, they sent my son to Iran. After that, my hands worsened day by day, which they were forced to transfer me to the hospital, exactly where I took the opportunity and immediately escaped.
IKHRW Reporter: You previously stated that your brother had also joined this armed group. How did he get deceived? Why? Did he join before you or after you?
Fatemeh Choupanposht: My brother has joined after me. In fact, he was supposed to bring me back, but got trapped there. After 5 years, he managed to escape but he was captured again and returned to the group base. Due to prior warnings within the group that if you return to Iran, you will be arrested and interrogated, he refused to return to Iran. But I returned and encountered no problem.
IKHRW reporter: How did your brother manage to escape successfully, but was captured again?
Fatemeh Choupanposht: My brother got familiar with a girl at that time, of course later I realized that the girl had been sent by the group to deceive my brother and made him be arrested. I am deeply concerned about my brother and I really do not know what else can be done to release him. I fear for myself and my children, as I have two other daughters besides Artin, and I am currently living only with my daughters and after my separation from his father, Artin lives with his father. Several times I was overtly threatened, for a while suspicious calls were made to me every night; each time it was the voice of a different person. They told I was a spy. For this reason, your brother is a spy too, so we have imprisoned him. The more I pleaded, the more they threatened. Hossein Yazdanpanah himself had a video call with me one night, which all was insults and threats that increased my fear. I do not know from where and whom I should ask for help. I hope to see Hasan in Iran one day.
