Iranian President visits Kurdistan Province

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday visited the Kurdistan Province of Iran, promising to improve infrastructure in one of the country's most neglected regions.

SANANDAJ, Iran (Kurdistan24) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday visited the Kurdistan Province of Iran, promising to improve infrastructure in one of the country's most neglected regions.

Speaking in Sanandaj (Sina), the capital city of Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat), Rouhani made new promises to his country’s large Kurdish population.

Kurds say they have seen no improvement in their community’s since Rouhani became president in 2013.

Kurdish commentators note the new promises come as old ones – made to Kurds during Rouhani’s election campaign – remain unfulfilled.

“We soon realized the promises he made during his campaign were empty,” Rebwar Heidari told Kurdistan24.

“No Kurdish officials have been given local posts, not even as a governor,” he continued.

“The government claimed it could find no qualified Kurdish candidates for any of the important posts,” Heidari said. “That is adding insult to injury.”

The number of executions in Iran significantly increased since Rouhani took charge with Kurds making up a disproportionate number of political prisoners, according to Iran Prison Atlas.

Muhsin Biglary, the representative of the cities of Saqqez and Bana in the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, said the current government led by President Rouhani failed to keep its campaign promises regarding Kurdish cities in Iran.

In a meeting with Rouhani, Biglary said many Kurdish people in Iran who voted for Rouhani felt let down, Iranian-based Mehr news agency reported.

“Kurds overwhelmingly participated in the elections and mostly voted for Rouhani, but it is sad that we do not even have one Kurdish minister or deputy minister,” Biglary added.

The representative of Saqqez and Baneh said Iranian Kurds expected a Kurdish expert to be allowed in the 11th cabinet to provide equal opportunities for all Iranians.

“There have not been any changes in the budget for Kurdish areas, and there are many issues with the roads,” Biglary explained

Besides a history of ethnic and economic suppression, Iran’s Kurds have other reasons to mistrust governments in Tehran.

In July 1989, Iranian Kurdish leader Abdulrahman Ghassemlou was assassinated in Vienna during secret negotiations with Iranian government agents.

Three years later, his successor Sadegh Sharafkandi was assassinated in a Berlin restaurant by suspected agents of the Iranian regime.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany