Holding a court hearing to hear the lawsuit of the families of martyrs and veterans of the terrorist acts of the PJAK group

 

 

 

According to the Young Journalists Club , a hearing on the legal case filed by the families of martyrs and veterans resulting from the terrorist actions of the PJAK terrorist group on behalf of the US government and its leaders was officially held in Branch 55 of the Special Court for International Disputes in Tehran, Kurdistan Province.

In this session, the judge of the court, referring to the subject of the present case, stated: The subject of the case is the lawsuit filed by the families of the martyrs and veterans of the terrorist acts of the PJAK group against the US government and its leaders, seeking material, moral, and punitive damages resulting from the attribution of support for these acts.

He added: “The present court considers itself competent to hear the case in accordance with the provisions of the statute, and based on Article 34 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, seeking legal action is the inalienable right of every individual, and anyone, as an Iranian, can refer to domestic courts and file a lawsuit if their rights are violated.”

lawyer took the stand by order of the judge and said: “I represent a number of Iranian citizens who have suffered human, financial, and moral damages from the terrorist actions of the PJAK group.” The lawsuit has been filed against 124 defendants; the US government, ministries and institutions related to the country’s sovereignty, and some companies and individuals.

He said: “PJAK’s actions include the killing of civilians, assassination of security forces, kidnapping, torture, destruction of infrastructure, and organized extortion. These acts are clear examples of human rights violations and crimes against humanity.”

He added: “Child soldiers are found in abundance in this group, and the group obtains its financial resources from smuggling, drug transit, extortion, and coercion. Fear and intimidation are the main tools of this group to exert influence in target areas.”

The lawyer said: “Despite the recognition of PJAK as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, they have directly supported this group; this support includes financing, equipment, training, operational guidance and planning. Numerous documents, including trips by members of the US Congress, CIA agents and published images and documents, prove this cooperation.”

He said: “The group’s equipment and weapons are mainly American, and professional training was provided by American officers. Accordingly, the United States is directly and jointly responsible for the actions of this group, and by violating international obligations, it is responsible for compensating for the material, moral, spiritual, and human dignity losses of our clients.”

The lawyer for the martyrs’ families played a clip and presented documents, explaining the group’s deceptive recruitment methods.

He stated: “These groups use deceptive and seductive methods in the recruitment process.”

Stating that once individuals join this group, they are practically unable to leave, the lawyer said: “Members are deprived of the most basic living conditions and are forced to carry out activities such as digging caves in order to survive in harsh mountain conditions without observing minimum safety principles.”

The son of one of the martyrs present at the court hearing said: “My father was martyred a year ago. He was 49 years old and a hardworking person who collected medicinal plants in mountainous areas and sold them to support his family. Without any military affiliation or activity, he was the target of direct fire from PJAK elements while collecting medicinal plants near the Marivan border and was martyred.”

Lawyer said: “In numerous cases, there are many cases of individual and unjustified killings of citizens in the mountains, plains and rural areas of Kurdistan; people who were neither military nor involved in a specific activity, but were shepherds, farmers, gardeners or simply traveling on a daily basis. Sometimes, simply because they were familiar with local routes and took shorter routes, they were targeted by snipers from the PJAK group and were martyred.”

The lawyer said: “The main goal of these actions is to create intimidation in the surrounding area and ensure the security of the group’s bases and headquarters by scaring the local population.”

At the court hearing, a number of defected members of the PJAK group were present as witnesses and provided explanations about the structure, recruitment methods, and behaviors within the PJAK group.

A woman who is a member of the PJAK group who has broken away from the city of Paveh stated in court that she is from the city of Paveh and that she joined the group in 2018. The reason she joined the group was the severe mental and emotional conditions resulting from separation from her husband and the deprivation of seeing their young child. Through cyberspace and communication with one of the group members on Telegram, she was deceived with the promise of seeing her child, complete security, proper facilities, and a desirable life. However, immediately after entering the Marivan border, she realized the stark difference between promises and reality and regretted it.

He said: “I slept on the ground and rocks in very difficult conditions, without basic facilities, and for the first time I encountered weapons and a violent environment. After regretting it, due to fear of returning and social and family pressures, I was unable to immediately leave the group. After about 15 days, they took us to the Erbil region in Iraq and settled us in the group’s headquarters. The settlement was an underground tunnel covered with nylon and lacking any basic living facilities; the floor was simply carpeted, and the sanitary conditions were very poor.”

He said: “The daily schedule was very hard and exhausting. Every day we woke up at 3 am and were required to walk about 20 to 30 kilometers in mountainous areas. Military and ideological training was mandatory. In terms of clothing, cleanliness and hygiene, the conditions were very deplorable; the bathroom and toilet were located in the same place as the bedroom and in inhuman conditions. In winter, we were forced to bathe in the cold and snow, and in summer, we even used a pot to wash our hair.”

“In this camp, there were girls from 9 years old to elderly women, and there was no freedom or real human connection. Any intimacy, even a simple conversation, was met with isolation,” he continued.

This defected member of the PJAK terrorist group stated during the court hearing, referring to the video that was broadcast: “In this group, there is no concept of family, love, or human relationship, and any intimacy between individuals is severely suppressed.”

This defected member stated that from the moment they join the group, they are told that there is no such thing as a family, and added: “Group officials emphasize that human feelings should not be formed and that individuals should only obey orders. Any emotional closeness and intimacy between members leads to increased work pressure, mandatory guarding, and organizational punishments.”

He said: “There is neither freedom nor life in this group, but women are kept in conditions similar to slavery.”

Referring to the organized extortion of people in border areas, he said: “Members of the PJAK group were sent to villages around Marivan, Mahabad, Sardasht, Piranshahr, Ilam, and Urmia and, by threatening them, they took food, money, and necessities from the people.”

The witness also referred to the mechanism to prevent members from leaving, saying: “Upon arrival, we were given a form stating that we had no right to leave or return under any circumstances. After signing, any expression of regret was tantamount to imprisonment, torture, and complete deprivation, and there was practically no way out.”

Stating that this group has no religious beliefs, he said: “They are not Muslims. Even mentioning God or the Prophet in educational classes was met with ridicule and severe treatment, and we were told that God does not exist.”

This defected member of the PJAK terrorist group stated: “We were taught to use all kinds of weapons, including grenades, Kalashnikovs, and heavy weapons. This group does not seek the liberation of Kurdistan, nor does it have a specific goal, but rather seeks only its own interests and power through violence, extortion, and crimes against innocent people.”

A former member of the PJAK group said: “They say that anyone who does not accept Öcalan is not one of us.”

Another person, who had been a member of the group for about 10 years, continued to say that he was recruited in 2012 with the promise of a better life. After illegally crossing the border, he was transferred to the Qandil headquarters and subjected to military, political, and ideological training.

He said: “The group’s goals are not fixed and change according to political conditions, but the ultimate goal, in all forms and titles, both classic and modern, is the disintegration of Kurdistan and its separation from Iran.”

Another defected member, in response to the judge’s question about the group’s opposition to the concept of family, said in the court session: “The PJAK group believes that as long as society exists under the family structure and social order, there is no possibility of independence and the realization of their goals; therefore, any family connection, affection, or intimacy between members is suppressed, and the concept of family has been completely rejected.”

In response to the question of whether he had received direct or indirect training from the United States in this group, the defected member said: “Around 2015, delegations from the United States came to the Sulaymaniyah region and met with the commanders and leaders of the group. The topics of these meetings were issues related to Turkey, the provision of weapons, facilitating activities, and military training.”

He said: “Training was carried out both directly and indirectly. In some cases, commanders who had received their training in Sulaymaniyah joined other forces to transfer training, especially in urban warfare, the use of modern weapons and new tactics. At some point, the type of weapons changed, and the group was provided with American and NATO weapons, which are practically impossible to obtain on the open market. This indicates an organized and foreign source of weapons supply.”

The defected member said: “The purpose of this training is to prepare forces to exploit any social unrest and drag the conflict into the cities.”

The father of two of the victims of the forced recruitment of the PJAK group said in court: “I am the father of two 16-year-old twin girls. Unfortunately, both of my daughters were recruited by the group’s agents. One of them was recruited last year, and after about five months and eighteen days of pressure, complaints, and follow-up, I managed to get her back. But three months ago, both of my daughters were threatened on the way to school, forced into a car, and kidnapped. I filed an official complaint, it was registered, and the images of the kidnappers are available on the cameras.”

He said: “This group purposefully recruits girls and teenagers under the age of 18 by brainwashing them; with the promise of freedom, prosperity and a better life. But the reality, as separated witnesses have said, is nothing more than psychological pressure, compulsory military training and complete severance of ties with family. There is regret, but the path back is very difficult and sometimes impossible.”

The family of one of the victims of forced recruitment stated at the court hearing, referring to the conditions imposed on individuals in the PJAK group: “Members, especially girls, are forced to perform harsh guard duties and grueling work, including digging tunnels, and if they protest or are unable to do so, they face pressure and threats. Many girls are unable to speak out due to fear and are trained not to reveal any information anywhere.”

The judge said: “This group is purposefully recruiting children and adolescents, because children, due to their younger age, have a greater aptitude for learning and their minds are more easily guided towards the group’s ideological goals.”

The lawyer for the families of the martyrs of terrorist incidents and veterans, requesting the second clip to be played, said in the court session: “This clip is dedicated to introducing the PJAK group and its international connections, and it shows images of a US senator’s trip to the Kurdistan regions and his presence among the group members along with officers.”

Continuing the hearing of the case related to the actions of the PJAK group, the court judge, referring to the documents presented in the session, said: “The statements of two witnesses in this court, along with the clips played in court, clearly show that the activities of this group are carried out practically and in most cases with the support of foreign governments.”

He added: “The point that must be properly explained to the public and families is that the goal of recruiting individuals is not simply pressure or temporary support; rather, a greater goal is pursued, and that is to achieve the goals of the US government and affiliated movements through this small group.”

In the continuation of the meeting, a defected member of the PJAK group, appearing on the witness stand, explained how the group was recruited, trained, and operated.

This defected member of the PJAK group stated: “I became acquainted with the group in late 2019 through cyberspace and through a connection with a person with the pseudonym Zeinab. During the recruitment process, they encouraged people with promises such as improving their financial situation, the possibility of leaving the country, continuing to live abroad, and starting a family.”

He continued: “After joining and entering the group, it became clear that none of the promises were real, even the housing conditions were very inadequate and there was no news of basic living facilities. During his time there, ideological and military training was continuously provided and people’s contact with their families was completely cut off, and basically there was no concept of family in that space.”

The defected member added: “After undergoing brainwashing and ideological training, individuals would undergo military training, dig caves, and prepare for armed operations inside Iran, and would usually be returned to their native areas for slaughter, because the individuals dominated those areas. Leaving this group is only possible through escape, and that is how I also left.”

The judge stated: “The victims of these actions are not only military forces, but civilians, including shepherds and ordinary people, have also been targeted, which shows that the group’s actions lack any legitimate purpose and that its fundamental goal is to divide and destabilize the country.”

lawyer continued: “During inspections inside Iran, weapons and ammunition were discovered from this group’s shipments, which were mainly American weapons with NATO logos. In the past two weeks alone, more than 40,000 bullets were discovered that had entered the country for terrorist acts. This documentation will be presented to the court by security and law enforcement agencies.”

Next, the family of one of the martyrs came to the stand to give their statements. The martyr’s wife said: “In 2008, my husband went to Iraq for work, but he never returned. After a while, they called me from Iraqi numbers and said that if you want to see your husband, you have to cooperate. They had tortured him. They asked me to take my daughter and recruit other people. They kept threatening me. In the end, my husband was martyred under torture and his body has not been handed over yet. They were even threatening us until last year.”

The judge said: “This meeting was convened by the US government and its leaders. Legal notice was sent to the invitees in the US in compliance with the rules of civil procedure; therefore, the invitees were aware of the meeting and there is no legal obstacle to the proceedings.”

He added: “Another point is that, considering the four Geneva Conventions, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and other international obligations to which the United States is a party, as well as the testimony of witnesses, especially members who have defected from the group, and inquiries from various institutions, it has been determined that the US government plays an undeniable role in equipping, financially, morally, and providing weapons to this group. The provision of weapons has been carried out either directly or indirectly through intermediaries, and this group has practically become a tool in the hands of the United States.”

The judge stated: There are also reports of military training of members of the group by American forces or those affiliated with them and their deployment inside the country to carry out operations. These actions are aimed at destroying national security and inciting Iranians against each other, which, according to the law on combating the financing of terrorism, is a clear example of terrorist acts and is contrary to the principles of human rights and humanitarian law. The documents and films presented also indicate the connection of American officials with Iranian opposition groups. This evidence shows that the training and equipping of these groups is carried out with the support of the respondent government. The actions of this group are not limited to military forces and have also targeted civilians; their goal is to deprive security, cause deaths, and weaken national unity.

Announcing the end of the trial, the judge said: “The court will issue the necessary verdict at the appropriate time.”