Rooz Exclusive: Kurdistan To Go “Dark” on Fortieth Day of Mourning

Thirty-eight days after the execution of five political prisoners at Tehran’s Evin Prison, the government continues to refuse to return the dead bodies of the executed individuals to their families. Under these circumstances, Kurdish activists have suggested that people of Kurdistan turn off the lights at 10 p.m. on June 16 as a sign of respect to the May 9 martyrs. This would be the Kurdistan people’s second show of civil disobedience in the past month. Farzad Kamangar’s mother as well as several political parties and civil society groups in Kurdistan have welcomed the suggestion. In exclusive interviews with Rooz, Farhad Vakili’s wife and one of Shirin Alamhuli’s relatives have also voiced their support for this display of civil disobedience.

Several Kurdish civil and political activists and journalists have released a statement calling on the people of Kurdistan to turn off the lights for five minutes at 10 p.m. on June 16, as a show of respect for the May 9 martyrs and as part of the ongoing protest against the capital punishment in Iran.

The statement notes, “Despite having executed five political prisoners on May 9, in a cowardly act, the Islamic republic officials have refused to return the bodies to the mourning families and announced that the bodies have been buried in an undisclosed location. Despite the general strike in Kurdistan and vast protests by Iranians around the world, the Islamic republic continues to suppress dissidents and human rights.”

In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Hiva Hazhir, the wife of Farhad Vakili, who was among the executed prisoners, declared, “ As the wife and representative of the family of martyr Farhad Vakili I declare my absolute support of the plan to turn off the lights on the fortieth day of mourning of the martyrs.”

Thanking the people of Iran for their solidarity, and the people of Kurdistan in particular for their successful May 13 general strike, Farhad Vakili’s wife told Rooz, “In our opinion the only way to respect the May 9 martyrs and support the remaining political prisoners in Iran is to continue to engage in peaceful and civil activism; because experience has shown that non-civil actions can never help the people in achieving their aims.”

While most family members of the martyrs have been prohibited by security organs to participate in interviews about their condition, Malaekeh Alamhuli, one of Shirin Alamhuli’s relatives, voiced her support for the civil disobedience proposal in an interview with Rooz. She said, “As a member of Shirin’s family, I see it as my duty to announce my utmost thanks and gratitude to people and activists for their support. We fully support the plan to turn off the lights on the fortieth day of the mourning of martyrs in continuation of the Kurdistan people’s civil actions. We ask that people don’t leave the families of political prisoners alone but defend their human rights through civil actions.”