Fardin Salehi, was born in 1999 and was in his final year of high school.
one of the methods of providing manpower in armed groups is kidnapping and deceiving teenagers and young people and using them as military forces. This method is very common among Kurd armed groups in the northern and northwestern borders of Iran And groups like PJAK, P.K.K., Komala Democrat, and PAK use this method to compensate for their lack of popularity and legitimacy, and of course to provide their own manpower. By kidnapping children and teenagers and taking them to their headquarters, they are actually holding Iranian citizens hostage.
In continuation of its research and field reports on the situation of children abducted by armed groups, the reporter of Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch visited the father of an Iranian teenager named Fardin Salehi. Fardin’s father told the reporter that PJAK kidnapped his son and his visits to PJAK headquarters in Kurdistan Region had no results. The details of interview with Mr. Salehi is as follow:
IKHRW Reporter: Please provide information about your child to audience.
Mr. Salehi: My son, Fardin Salehi, was born in 1999(1378) and was in his final year of high school. He was kidnapped by members of the PJAK group about three years ago. I have tried several times to get information from my child, but unfortunately I have not been successful so far. I still do not understand the reason for this action of PJAK. When my son was kidnapped; I was in Tehran. When I came back, I realized that Fardin had not come home for several days and his mother was so worried. I, along with one of my friends, whose child was also missing, were looking for them. Police station, border guard, hospital, etc., but there was no news of them. We were already disappointed and we thought they were both dead! Through one of my friends, I found out that Fardin may have been transferred to Benaviyan village.
IKHRW Rreporter: How did you find out that Fardin might be in Benaviyan village? Did you visit the Kurdistan Region in Iraq?
Mr. Salehi: Through one of my friends who was in Penjwin, we found out that Fardin was transferred to Benaviyan village. I used to be a partner with this person; He was my friend and he worked in the border areas with a heavy machine. After we found that my son might be in Iraq, I begged my friend to find out about my son. He also promised to cooperate; He got in touch with those he had connections with and who might have connections in PJAK then informed me. So, I visited that village twice; but both times I was hit by a closed door. Even my friend who was in Penjwin also went to the village. But they did not allow him to visit either. They did not allow us to talk at all to make us sure that Fardin is there or has left.
IKHRW reporter: What else did you do to find Fardin?
Mr. Salehi: Well, I went to Iraq and Benaviyan village twice to find Fardin and bring him back. I planned to see him at the headquarters of PJAK, but I was not allowed. I even got into a fight with them but did not succeed. Now I do the living with difficulty; my only source of income is from Kolbar and labor; which spent on a trip to Iraq; but I could not see my child at least for a few minutes. I don’t know what kind of party this PJAK is, whose members are forbidden to meet! As if the members are prisoners! They don’t tell us anything neither. Even now, I have no news about Fardin and I don’t know where he is, what he is doing, whether he is alive or dead! His mother is not well at all and we don’t know what to do and which institution to refer to. I am still shocked and Fardin was not into politics, parties, and groups at all. They kidnapped my son.
IKHRW reporter: Did you have any disagreements in your family? Or did Fardin have a problem at school?
Mr. Salehi: No, there was no problem at all! Fardin was both a student and working in a car repair shop. There was no conflict in our family at all. He was a calm boy and not interested in weapons and armed activities. Because of that I am sure they tricked and transferred him to the so-called headquarters. Any way, we are still waiting for Fardin and we hope he will return to Iran. Although we went to Iraq twice and did not get any results; But I pray for my son be fine and see him again one day.
