Javanrud; From Dismissal and Deprivation to Judicial Case-Building on Charges of "Propaganda Against the State" for Zeytun Kohzadi-Nasab and Mehri Khosravizadeh Due to the Performance of the Anthem "Rei Khabat"
October 29, 2025; In the continuation of the trend of security and administrative pressure on Kurdish teachers in Kurdistan, two female teachers from Javanrud named "Zeytun Kohzadi-Nasab" (Principal) and "Mehri Khosravizadeh" (Educational Deputy) of the "Ferdous" girls' elementary school, have been targeted with summons, repeated interrogations, dismissal from managerial positions, demotion, salary reduction, and finally the filing of a judicial case on charges of "propaganda against the state." This follows the performance of the anthem "Rei Khabat" (The Way of Struggle) by the students of this school.
According to an informed source to Kurdpa, on March 15, 2025, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Halabja chemical bombing, the students of "Ferdous" school performed the anthem "Rei Khabat" under the management and coordination of these two teachers. The publication of the video of this performance on social media led to their repeated summons and interrogation by security agencies. Subsequently, Zeytun Kohzadi-Nasab and Mehri Khosravizadeh faced administrative punishments such as demotion, salary deductions, and a ban on professional promotion.
Based on received information, eventually, Branch 1 of the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office of Javanrud County, by issuing a "final court order" (Gharar-e Nahayi) on September 3, 2025, built a case against both teachers on charges of "propaganda against the state" and referred the case to the Javanrud Revolutionary Court for a final ruling. This charge could lead to a sentence of three months to one year of executory imprisonment for each of them.
A copy of the judicial document "final court order," in which the names and charges of these two teachers are mentioned, has been published by the "Seda-ye Kermanshah" Instagram page.
According to informed sources; Zeytun Kohzadi-Nasab, daughter of Fathollah, has been demoted from Principal to Assistant Principal, and approximately four million Tomans are deducted from her salary monthly. Also, Mehri Khosravizadeh, daughter of Younes, has been dismissed from the position of Educational Deputy and is currently working as a grade teacher with a total deprivation of professional and administrative promotion. Despite these pressures, both teachers continue to teach at "Ferdous" elementary school.
"Rei Khabatman" or "Rei Khabat" (Our Way of Struggle/The Way of Struggle) is among the lasting epic works in the collective memory of the people of Kurdistan. Its melody is derived from the Russian song "Katyusha," and the Kurdish version was arranged by the martyr "Aram." To date, many Kurdish artists have covered this anthem, and it is sung in unison during cultural ceremonies and collective occasions by the people of Kurdistan.
The song "Katyusha" is one of the most famous Russian songs of the World War II era, which became a symbol of patriotism, love, and loyalty. Today, this anthem is a symbol of hope and love during hard days in Russian and global culture and has been covered in more than 60 languages.
The singing of this anthem by these children on March 15, 2025, was published by the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations, which wrote: "The girls of Javanrud, by singing the anthem 'Rei Khabat,' sent a message of standing, unity, and hope for a just future to the world."
The "Ferdous" girls' elementary school is one of the public schools in Javanrud County, Kermanshah Province, located on "Kawat" Street in Phase One of the Culturalists (Farhangian) area of this city.
The Kurdpa Human Rights Organization strongly condemns the conviction and case-building against the two female teachers from Javanrud, Zeytun Kohzadi-Nasab and Mehri Khosravizadeh, and considers it a clear example of the suppression of freedom of expression, cultural activity, and the right to free education in Kurdistan. The performance of the anthem "Rei Khabat" in a girls' school—which took place on the anniversary of the Halabja chemical bombing (a crime committed by the Iraqi Ba'ath regime and Saddam Hussein against the people of Kurdistan and having no connection to the Islamic Republic)—was a cultural act and a reminder of the resistance and suffering of the people of Kurdistan, not an instance of "propaganda against the state." The security, administrative, and judicial confrontation with these two teachers is, in fact, the continuation of the organized suppression of Kurdistan's civil society; a policy that, by making excuses out of every cultural and artistic movement, attempts to silence the voices of Kurdish teachers, artists, and cultural activists and to empty the fields of education and culture of any independence and freedom.
Kurdpa emphasizes that in the absence of independent cultural and artistic programs, the freedom of culture and art for oppressed minorities, and in conditions where ceremonies and education are systematically de-ideologized and controlled based on the ideology of the Islamic Republic, this suppression of teachers and cultural activists is pursued as part of the ongoing policy of ideologizing schools. Such a policy is not only in conflict with the freedom of cultural, educational, and artistic activities of minorities but also directly contradicts international human rights criteria and standards, including the right to education without discrimination and the right to freedom of expression and cultural activity.
A Look at the Bulk and Organized Confrontations with Kurdistan's Teachers; From the Removal of Ranking to Disciplinary and Judicial Sentences (2022 to 2025):
A review of published documents and reports shows that the confrontation with Kurdistan's teachers in the past three years has not been an isolated act, but an organized and coordinated process between security, judicial, and administrative agencies. The Provincial General Department of Education, Administrative Infractions Boards, and the Supreme National Security Council have had a direct role in this process. The main goal of these actions, instead of addressing trade union demands, has been to contain protests, remove critical forces, and control the educational space.
On December 24, 2022, more than 200 teachers in Sanandaj, Marivan, and Saqqez were subjected to collective administrative reprimands due to participation in trade union strikes.
On January 22, 2023, by order of the Supreme National Security Council, 43 trade union activists faced extensive financial fines, and approximately six million Tomans were deducted from their salaries monthly; including Soleiman Abdi, Kaveh Mohammadzadeh, Majid Karimi, and Mokhtar Asadi.
On April 21, 2023, dozens of teachers, including Ghias Nemati, Parviz Ahsani, and Faisal Nouri, were removed from the ranking system on the charge of "acting against internal security."
On February 3, 2025, the Kurdistan Department of Education issued collective disciplinary sentences against 47 teachers in various cities of the province; including dismissal, suspension, forced retirement, salary deduction, and exile.
On June 1, 2025, 15 teacher trade union activists were summoned to the Sanandaj Criminal Court on the charge of "disturbing public order"; including Majid Karimi, Nasrin Karimi, Ghias Nemati, and Faisal Nouri.
August 21, 2025; Suppression of Kurdish teacher trade union activists; from dismissal and suspension sentences to forced retirement and administrative deprivation against 15 Kurdish teachers in Sanandaj, Divandarreh, and Saqqez.
Also, on Saturday, January 25, 2025, the teachers of Kurdistan published an open letter addressed to officials and public opinion, which, while pointing to the dire state of educational justice, schools, students, and teachers, mentioned various types of suppression of teachers' advocacy, especially after the "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" revolutionary uprising.
February 9, 2025; On the initiative of the Kurdpa Human Rights Organization, 13 human rights organizations published a statement condemning the systematic suppression of Kurdistan's teachers, especially since the beginning of the "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" protests; they called for the cessation of illegal suppressions against teachers, monitoring of their conditions by international bodies, and the application of pressure on the Iranian government to respect the human rights and freedoms of teachers.
Prepared by: Awin Mostafazadeh
