Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

for Human Rights in Iran

https://www.iranrights.org
Omid, a memorial in defense of human rights in Iran
One Person’s Story

Abbas Karimi

About

Age: 22
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Unknown
Civil Status: Single

Case

Date of Killing: April 30, 2001
Location of Killing: Saqqez Garrison, Saqqez, Kordestan Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Hanging
Charges: Unknown charge

About this Case

News of the execution of Mr. Abbas Karimi was announced by the office of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan. Additional information was taken from the ABF interview with a member of this organization in Saqez and the Komala Office in Erbil, Iraq.

Mr. Karimi, known as Helu, 22, was single and from Saqez in Kurdistan. He had a middle school education. In 1995, he joined the Komala Party in Kurdistan and served for a year in Saqez and the surrounding area. One year later, he became a Peshmerga and was active in the Showan Battalion for five years. His responsibilities in Komala included being a Group Deputy, working in the technical department of the organization’ radio, being a Group Commander, and being in charge of the library.

In the mid 1960’s, several remaining members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran established the Revolutionary Organization of this party in Iraq. Among its leaders were Esma’il Sharifzadeh, Abdollah Mo’ini, and Mola’avareh, who began an armed guerrilla struggle in Kurdistan inspired by the Cuban Revolution. The group was defeated in 1969 and several of its members arrested. The Revolutionary Organization of Working People in Kurdistan (Komala) was established upon the release of a number of the leaders in 1978. After the revolution, in accordance with Marxist theory, Komala opposed capitalists and landlords, and encouraged workers and peasants in Kurdistan, in particular in the city of Sanandaj and vicinity where they had strong support, to initiate an armed uprising against capitalists, landlords and the central government. In 1982, Komala joined another Marxist group, Sahand, an organization concentrating mainly on theory and ideology, and established the Communist Party of Iran. Komala subsequently adopted the name “The Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran, Komala.” By the mid-1980s, the central government had succeeded in pushing Komala fighters out of Kurdistan and into Northern Iraq. Years later, Komala split from the Communist Party of Iran and faced several schisms, each continuing to use the name Komala.

Arrest and detention

Mr. Karimi was arrested in May of 2001 and detained at the Saqez Prison for a week. The circumstances of his arrest and detention are not known.

Trial

No information is available on Mr. Karimi’s trial.

Charges

According to the Komala Office in Arbil, the charge against Mr. Karimi was announced as “being a member of Komala.” No detail information is available regarding his charges.

The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial.

Evidence of guilt

The report of this execution does not contain information regarding the evidence provided against Mr. Karimi.

Defense

No information is available on Mr. Karimi’s defense. According to the Komala Office in Erbil, the time between his arrest and execution was only one week. (ABF interview)

Judgment

Mr. Abbas Karimi was hanged, along with another member of Komala, Mr. Baqi Rahimi, at the Saqez Prison on April 30, 2001. There is no information on the verdict leading to this execution or his burial location.

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