It didn’t take more than three months from membership to the death of Sirvan Khairabadi!
In its experience and expertise with the problems families of militia recruits, IKHRW can conclude that socioeconomic issues are the most mentioned reason for recruitment of young people from Iranian Kurdistan. Socioeconomic problems and its many examples have always created problems for locals and society as a whole, and these issues cannot be solved until we identify and eliminate the main causes of these damages, which can only be achieved with the serious determination and will of the government officials.
It is natural that the border- and less developed regions of Iran, due to the existence of numerous and deep economic and livelihood problems shaping the lives of people in those regions, need this attention from the authorities of the Iranian government more so than other cities and regions of the country.
The father of Sirvan Khairabadi, one of the victims of PJAK’s recruitment politics, recently spoke to the Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch, complaining about the officials of the Iranian government as well as Iraqi security for not properly handling the issue of PKK and PJAK’s deception and the transport of its fresh recruits across the border into Iraqi Kurdistan.
“Sirvan had problems with his wife’s family for a while, that’s why he decided to go to Tehran, until he suddenly disappeared. Sirvan did not have a passport. He was transported to the border with Iraqi Kurdistan, from which he must have been smuggled illegally, which is protected by Iranian border guards, and Peshmerga at the other side. Both sides apparently did not interfere in this process.”
“We contacted everyone we could about Sirvan, but no one had any news about him. Finally, we decided to visit the police station and hospitals, but there was no news either; Exactly three months had passed since he left when suddenly on one of the channels related to PKK and PJAK, his name was announced as killed in action! The whole family was shocked, we didn’t think that he even became a member of such a group because he had no interest in any party or group during his life, let alone that one day he wants to become a member and we believe the news of his death, that’s why quickly we made it to Iraq”
“But there, in addition to all the disrespects we received for going there, they said that we should not look for our son, he was killed. No matter how much we insisted that they even show us his grave, they still refused and said that such a thing is not possible. ‘Don’t stay here and don’t look for Sirvan anymore.’ ”
“What could I do as an old man? Where could I take my lawsuit?! My son suddenly disappeared and finally some cave dwellers rudely told me that my son was killed and did not give us any more details.”
“This could so easily be prevented! I would rather have a son in prison for illegal crossing of the border, than a dead son whose body I cannot retrieve!!”
