Attack on a Journalist in Sanandaj; Ejlal Ghavami: The Attacker Said He Would Kill All Opposition

Ejlal Ghavami, a journalist residing in Sanandaj, reported being attacked with a knife and 'beaten' and confirmed that he underwent a two-hour surgery following the attack. As images of Mr. Ghavami in the hospital were released, the legal advisors group Dadban reported on Thursday, September 8, that this critical journalist had sustained 'internal injuries.' According to the report, the attackers accused him of being connected to 'anti-revolutionary channels' during the 'beating' and said, 'You write against us.' Ejlal Ghavami wrote on Instagram: 'A few hours ago, I was attacked with a knife by specific individuals and sustained internal injuries. Medical follow-ups are ongoing at Kowsar Hospital.' Mr. Ghavami confirmed these reports on Instagram, stating: 'After two hours of surgery and an emergency situation,' I was transferred to the 'general ward of Kowsar Hospital.' He also wrote in another post that one of his attackers threatened to kill all Kurdish civil and political activists who 'claim to oppose and be in the opposition.' Ejlal Ghavami publishes critical content on social media. Among other things, in recent days, coinciding with widespread power outages currently affecting all of Iran, he wrote on X: 'In the scorching heat above 40 degrees, without prior notice, electricity is cut off for more than half of the city of Sanandaj. How much is the people worth; is the opinion and will of the people important to them that they at least hear some of these criticisms? We shouldn't complain too much when no one is in their rightful place; it can't get better than this.' He also questioned the appointment of Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, who is Kurdish and Sunni, as the Deputy for Rural Development and Underprivileged Areas, stating that in the Islamic Republic government, 'Kurds, Baluchs, Turkmens, and Yarsans have no significance,' and that 'the demands of these groups are only limited to Sunnis' and 'are restricted to just a few deputies and a few Sunni governors.' Attacks by official and plainclothes forces of the Islamic Republic on citizens have increased in recent days. Additionally, previous reports indicated that government forces attacked two branches of the Goethe Institute in Tehran, beating individuals present for the German language proficiency exam and telling them, 'Where do you think you're going?' Furthermore, news sources reported yesterday that Mohammad Mir Mousavi, a citizen from Lahijan County in Gilan Province, was killed under torture by the special forces of the Islamic Republic after being arrested at a police station in Langeroud County. The judiciary stated that a temporary detention order was issued for five officers involved in the case. The mother of Nafas Hajisharif said they have filed complaints against the officers of the 'Noor Plan' in five 'judicial and law enforcement' authorities, but to no avail. The sister of the victims, Manouchehr and Mehrdad Bakhtiari, stated: 'The loud-mouthed government takes 'harsh revenge' on our frail mother.' Mehrdad Bakhtiari was arrested; Saba Bakhtiari stated: 'They pointed a gun at my defenseless brother and brutally abducted him.' The killing of a young man in police custody in Gilan; the judiciary says a temporary detention order was issued for five officers. Twelve individuals were arrested in Gilan over three weeks; Dadban reported that some of them were 'severely tortured.'