Kurdish activists Ramin Hossein Panahi (24) and his companions Zanyar Muradi and Luqman Muradi, who were arrested in Iran on June 23, 2017, were sentenced to death on charges of “defying God” and “membership in an armed organization”. Although the activists who were sentenced to death declared that they were unarmed and civilians, the regime judiciary did not accept their defense. The 3 activists were executed on September 8, 2018 and their bodies were not released to their families. Zanyar Muradi and Luqman Muradi were buried in Beheshti Zahra cemetery in Tehran. 

 

Panahi's family was unable to attend the burial because they could not travel to Tehran, and the family was later not informed which cemetery Panahi was buried in or the number of his grave. Panahi's family has been searching for the graves of their children for 6 years.

 

PANAHI'S LAST MESSAGE

 

In the video shot on August 24, 2018 and released on September 3, 2023, Ramin Hossein Panahi's last words were recorded as follows: “I am Ramin Hossein Panahi, I am being held in Rajayishar prison. I would like to thank everyone who supported me, my people. I am an activist for the freedom of the people of Kurdistan. I thank the people of Kurdistan and the people of Iran for their support. This support makes me happy. I once again refute the allegations against me, I am not a terrorist. I am a civil activist. I am fighting for the freedom of the Iranian people, especially the people of Kurdistan.”

 

YEARS OF STRUGGLE

 

Panahi's mother Sharifa Panahi has been struggling for years to find her son's grave. She is not only searching for her son's grave, but also campaigning against the death penalty as an active activist. Mother Panahi talked to Mezopotamya Agency (MA) about her 6-year struggle to find his grave.

 

Speaking about the importance of having a grave, mother Panahi said, “We always say that ‘martyrs never dies’ and indeed, someone who dies for equality and freedom has a place at the top of history in the hearts of all the people of this land and is always alive. But the problem is that the Islamic Republic does not give the bodies of our loved ones or reveal their grave sites as a means of torturing the family. Often the grave sites of the dead are frequented by other resistance fighters. This is why the regime is afraid. But I am a mother and I have the right to go to my son's grave to ease my pain.”

 

'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM'

 

Reminding that her other son is also imprisoned, Panahi said that she is fighting for all prisoners. “My eldest son was also sentenced to death, but it was later commuted to 16 years in prison. My son Ashraf lost his life in a political assassination. They executed Ramin. 

 

A few months ago, when I wanted to visit the mothers of four young men executed in Kurdistan (Pijman Fatihi, Mohsen Mazlum, Wefa Azerbar and Mohammad Faramerzi), I was stopped by security forces on the way. One of the security guards of Sanandaj city asked me, 'Why don't you stay at home, why don't you keep quiet?' I told him that my Ramin was a freedom fighter, that he did not remain silent in the face of injustice and oppression and that he sacrificed his life for this cause. In other words, I said that Ramin's spirit lives in my body, I am Ramin now” she said.  

 

'OUR GREATEST WEAPON IS OUR UNITY'

 

Stating that it is a moral duty to resist oppression and persecution, mother Panahi said: “Solidarity and unity have become part of our struggle and our moral duty, and I want to say that our greatest weapon is our unity and nothing and no one can take this firearm away from us. Every son and daughter of this land are our children. Our support for each other as families is part of our struggle for the freedom of our children. We have and will continue to have strong connections that are friendly and sincere in the direction of unity and organization.”

  

Saying that they expect support from civil society organizations and the public, “We want the grave of our children. We ask the public opinion, human rights institutions, organizations defending freedom and equality to support us in fulfilling this minimum demand” she said. 

 

MA / Berivan Kutlu