PJAK leader Ahmedi says: We are ready for peace
PJAK leader Ahmedi says: We are ready for peace
Haci Ahmedi is the leader of PJAK (Free Life Party of Kurdistan). He was in Rome for a series of meetings and we have asked him some questions about the recent developments in Iran.
Let's start from Murat Karayilan (the KCK president) appeal to Pjak to declare a new ceasefire. What is your opinion on this?
We welcome any appeal against the war. We don't look where it comes from. We are against the war, not in favour of it. We will welcome any step the Iranian government may be willing to take in order to advance peace. If the Iranian government will positively consider the appeal for a ceasefire, and engaged honestly in a process which could bring to peace through dialogue we will do our part. It has to be stated clearly that this does not mean that we are not able to continue with war. We have enough strength to go on with war, but we are against war and killings.
Can we look at the reasons behind the increased clashes between PJAK and Iran, especially after the recent executions of Kurdish political prisoners?
It is true that for almost a year we had not witnessed armed clashes nor military operations. We had hoped that the Iranian regime would take into consideration our good will steps and work to build some kind of peaceful solution. On its first conference, two months ago, PJAK has asked the Iranian regime to sit and discuss the Kurdish question leaving arms behind. We asked Iran to sit and discuss together to find a just a lasting peace. But instead Iran after a year of relative calm has decided to execute 5 members of PJAK. This for us was nothing shorter than a war declaration. PJAK had to answer to such a declaration. PJAK only showed part of what is able to do. We think Iran has acted in this way because of its new relations with Turkey. In fact the executions were carried out while the Iranian foreign minister, Mottaki, was meeting the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and representatives of the Turkish government to plan a war of destruction against the Kurdish people. After that you had the visit to Ankara by the President of the Iranian Parliament, Larjani. Those executions were a gift to Turkey and a show of good will on the part of the Iranian government. A show of good will and of its readiness to fight against the Kurdish people.
What is your assessment of the military operations into North Iraq, i.e. into Kurdistan?
They are part of this project of destruction of the Kurdish people agreed by Iran, Turkey and Syria. It is clear that Turkey is not just attacking Kurds living in its territory but positions itself against the solution of the Kurdish question in all parts of Kurdistan. Now the Kurds in Iraq have reached a solution to the question with the central government of Iraq. Turkey, Iran, Syria and partly Iraq as well, tend to hit the rights gained by Kurds in Iraq.
What is your assessment of the new Iran-Turkey relation?
The new relation between Turkey and Iran is not strategic nor ideological, it's simply a tactical relation. Iran desperately needs to bring Turkey on its side in the Middle East arena. This is a crucial point for the safety of the Iranian regime with respect to its relations with both the USA and the West. Turkey now has a friendship with Hamas and declared to be ready to fight for the Palestinian people's rights. And this despite the fact that Hamas, rightly or wrongly, is in the list of the international terrorist associations and Turkey on its soil is fighting against a people that it considered terrorist. This double standard is unacceptable also for many Turks and it is not accepted by international standards.
Can you describe the conditions of the Kurds living in Iran, especially after last year's elections?
In the past year in Iran we have witnessed a strong increase in the repression. Before only the Kurdish area was militarised, now the whole Iran is heavily militarised. Every day people are killed. Only in the last three days 19 executions have been carried out. Death sentences are not human and are carried out without a fair trial, there is no right to defend yourself nor a just court. Often charges are fabricated. The Iranian regime try to fill the anger of the Iranian people by carrying out executions for supposedly crimes related to drug trafficking or against god. In 2009 alone, 338 people have been executed. And these are the official figures, so we could easily put the number higher. Massacres, executions, repression in the whole of Iran and Kurdistan cannot be tolerated anymore. For this reason many young people also from other peoples, today join the Kurdish guerrilla movement. To fight against this brutal system.
PJAK and the Kurdish movement are often seen, by Iranians as well, as the only movement which could bring real change in Iran. What is PJAK asking for?
PJAK is fighting for a democratic system in Iran. This means that in Iran all peoples must be considered and treated equally, from every point of view, social, political, economical, ideological. We want to assure to Iran a democratic future were men and women, all faiths have equal treatment and opportunities.
There are at least other 20 PJAK members waiting on death row. What will happen if they were to be executed?
We have a duty to defend our people. These sentences are not fair. The prisoners were not allowed a fair defence and trial, they had not a fair access to their lawyers. The Kurdish people could not accept new executions.
Let's start from Murat Karayilan (the KCK president) appeal to Pjak to declare a new ceasefire. What is your opinion on this?
We welcome any appeal against the war. We don't look where it comes from. We are against the war, not in favour of it. We will welcome any step the Iranian government may be willing to take in order to advance peace. If the Iranian government will positively consider the appeal for a ceasefire, and engaged honestly in a process which could bring to peace through dialogue we will do our part. It has to be stated clearly that this does not mean that we are not able to continue with war. We have enough strength to go on with war, but we are against war and killings.
Can we look at the reasons behind the increased clashes between PJAK and Iran, especially after the recent executions of Kurdish political prisoners?
It is true that for almost a year we had not witnessed armed clashes nor military operations. We had hoped that the Iranian regime would take into consideration our good will steps and work to build some kind of peaceful solution. On its first conference, two months ago, PJAK has asked the Iranian regime to sit and discuss the Kurdish question leaving arms behind. We asked Iran to sit and discuss together to find a just a lasting peace. But instead Iran after a year of relative calm has decided to execute 5 members of PJAK. This for us was nothing shorter than a war declaration. PJAK had to answer to such a declaration. PJAK only showed part of what is able to do. We think Iran has acted in this way because of its new relations with Turkey. In fact the executions were carried out while the Iranian foreign minister, Mottaki, was meeting the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and representatives of the Turkish government to plan a war of destruction against the Kurdish people. After that you had the visit to Ankara by the President of the Iranian Parliament, Larjani. Those executions were a gift to Turkey and a show of good will on the part of the Iranian government. A show of good will and of its readiness to fight against the Kurdish people.
What is your assessment of the military operations into North Iraq, i.e. into Kurdistan?
They are part of this project of destruction of the Kurdish people agreed by Iran, Turkey and Syria. It is clear that Turkey is not just attacking Kurds living in its territory but positions itself against the solution of the Kurdish question in all parts of Kurdistan. Now the Kurds in Iraq have reached a solution to the question with the central government of Iraq. Turkey, Iran, Syria and partly Iraq as well, tend to hit the rights gained by Kurds in Iraq.
What is your assessment of the new Iran-Turkey relation?
The new relation between Turkey and Iran is not strategic nor ideological, it's simply a tactical relation. Iran desperately needs to bring Turkey on its side in the Middle East arena. This is a crucial point for the safety of the Iranian regime with respect to its relations with both the USA and the West. Turkey now has a friendship with Hamas and declared to be ready to fight for the Palestinian people's rights. And this despite the fact that Hamas, rightly or wrongly, is in the list of the international terrorist associations and Turkey on its soil is fighting against a people that it considered terrorist. This double standard is unacceptable also for many Turks and it is not accepted by international standards.
Can you describe the conditions of the Kurds living in Iran, especially after last year's elections?
In the past year in Iran we have witnessed a strong increase in the repression. Before only the Kurdish area was militarised, now the whole Iran is heavily militarised. Every day people are killed. Only in the last three days 19 executions have been carried out. Death sentences are not human and are carried out without a fair trial, there is no right to defend yourself nor a just court. Often charges are fabricated. The Iranian regime try to fill the anger of the Iranian people by carrying out executions for supposedly crimes related to drug trafficking or against god. In 2009 alone, 338 people have been executed. And these are the official figures, so we could easily put the number higher. Massacres, executions, repression in the whole of Iran and Kurdistan cannot be tolerated anymore. For this reason many young people also from other peoples, today join the Kurdish guerrilla movement. To fight against this brutal system.
PJAK and the Kurdish movement are often seen, by Iranians as well, as the only movement which could bring real change in Iran. What is PJAK asking for?
PJAK is fighting for a democratic system in Iran. This means that in Iran all peoples must be considered and treated equally, from every point of view, social, political, economical, ideological. We want to assure to Iran a democratic future were men and women, all faiths have equal treatment and opportunities.
There are at least other 20 PJAK members waiting on death row. What will happen if they were to be executed?
We have a duty to defend our people. These sentences are not fair. The prisoners were not allowed a fair defence and trial, they had not a fair access to their lawyers. The Kurdish people could not accept new executions.
