During the justice demanding struggles of the people of Kurdistan in recent decades, there have been officers and non-commissioned officers who disobeyed the blind obedience of the army and have joined the ranks of the people. They remained loyal to human values and ideals in conjunction with the people to the last minutes of their lives. Their presence in the ranks of the Kurdistan Peshmerga had a great impact on the Kurdistan People’s Resistance Movement.
Names like(Mohammad Behrouz Behrooznia), Ebrahim Bolandi, Ali Golchini, Hassan Jahanbakhsh, Qutbuddin Golparvar, Habibollah Bahari Zar, Jamil Yakhchali, Ataullah Mahmoudi, Taher Khatibi, Abbas Porbaran, Mohammad Mobaseri, Iqbal Sharifi, Ahmad Javidfar, Muzaffar Tabeei and dozens others have joined the ranks of the people and still have a worthy place in the history of the struggles of the Kurdish nation.
On 19.08.1358 Iraninan Calendar (10.11.1979), “Colonel Sharifi” was one of the perpetrators of the massacre of the people of Kurdistan and then the commander of the Gendarmerie in the Kurdistan Region. He was flying a helicopter over the village of “Dezli” near the city of “Marivan to track down and to suppress the Peshmerga and civilian people of the region. Suddenly, one of the accompanying officers (Behrooz Behrooznia) protested and confronted him. Lieutenant Commander Behrooznia’s protest surprised the gendarmerie commander. He intended to disarm this brave and revolutionary officer together with the other helicopter crew. But Lieutenant Behrooznia, in his defense, punished him for his actions. Helicopter pilot and co-pilot seized opportunity and directed the helicopter to Marivan garrison. One of the occupants of the helicopter named Kamangar, who had rushed to the aid of Colonel Sharifi, was injured during a clash with Behrooznia. The soldiers stationed at the Marivan garrison arrested and detained pilot Lieutenant Behrooznia and sent him to Tehran for trial in a military court.
Public Relations of the Gendarmerie of the Islamic Republic confirmed the news of the death of Colonel Manouchehr Sharifi during an announcement published in the Kayhan newspaper on 11.11.1979. According to the rules of the army, he has been promoted to the rank of brigadier general. After the arrest of Behrouz Behrooznia and the announcement of his trial in a military court by the state media, the people of different cities of Kurdistan appealed for large demonstrations demanding the release of this brave and militant officer. The protests against Behrooznia’s arrest reached its peak on 23.08.1358 (14.11.1979). Thousands of people in Sanandaj demonstrated and chanted slogans in support of the revolutionary officer Behrooz Behrooznia and demanded his unconditional release. The next day, following the announcement of the general strike in the city of Sanandaj, all public and private offices along with the bazaar and the Razi University of Sanandaj were closed.
(Mohammad Behrooz Behrooznia), the son of Haj Abdullah Qanad, was born on 02.01. 1328 Iranian Calendar (22.03.1949) in Jorabad the neighborhood of Sanandaj. He completed his childhood in Hedayat School and his secondary education in Shahpour High School in the same city. He entered the Tehran Pilot School. He completed his training at the “Qale Morghi” base and was hired as a second lieutenant by the gendarmerie. He continued serving in the cities of Tehran and Mashhad in the years before the Iranian revolution. He started elucidation activities among soldiers and non-commissioned officers during the beginning of the mass protests in the monarchy era in support of the uprising of the Iranian people, along with other revolutionary personnel of the army. After the victory of the uprising in 1978, Lieutenant Behrooznia was transferred to the Kurdistan Gendarmerie at his own request and was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant as the company commander of the Sanandaj Gendarmerie Regiment.
A deep resentment and hatred arose in this young officer and his other revolutionary colleagues against the fascist religious regime after the bloody war of Nowruz 1358 (1979). It was imposed by the newly established regime on the people of Sanandaj, issued by the fatwa on the killing of the people of Kurdistan on 28.05.1358 (19.08.1979) by Ayatollah Khomeini. Behrooznia connected the Revolutionary Army Personnel Organization. This was a pro “Cherikhaye Fadayee Khalq” (People’s Fedayeen Guerrilla Organization).
The organization of the revolutionary personnel of the army exposed the conspiracies of the regime in killing and repressing the people of Kurdistan and other parts of Iran through enlightening activities among the soldiers of the army and the gendarmerie with the publication of the monthly “Revolutionary Personnel”, the national organ of this organization. Lieutenant Behrooznia maintained contact with this organization until the day of his arrest. Behrooznia was one of the close friends of Lieutenant Hassan Jahanbakhsh, who was better known as Hassan Tirbar during the 24-day resistance in Sanandaj. Hassan Jahanbakhsh’s bravery and dedication during the years of struggle, especially in the 24-days war of the people of Sanandaj in air defense of the city and confronting the attacking helicopters, were famous among the people of the city, which led to the downing of several attacking military helicopters.
With the spread of demonstrations in different cities of Kurdistan in support of Behrooznia, the delegation of Kurdish people consisting of representatives of political parties and organizations demanded the release of this revolutionary officer. Dariush Forouhar and Hashem Sabbaghian, officials of the Islamic Republic’s Goodwill Delegation, promised to cooperate and assist the Kurdish People’s Delegation during Behrooznia’s captivity. Behrooznia suffered from mental and physical torture during a month of captivity in the Evin Prison. Regime mercenaries sentenced him in the same prison office behind closed doors. But he defended his beliefs with great pride.
Finally, at dawn on 20.09.1358 Iranian Calendar (11.12.1979), the passionate and with a heart full of love Behrooz Behrooznia was targeted by bullets of the Revolutionary Guards of the Islamic Republic of Iran and it stopped beating. It coincided with the first day of negotiations with the Kurdish delegation. The news of the execution of Lieutenant Behrooznia was not reported in government newspapers due to severe censorship. Angry people in the cities of Kurdistan protested after having heard the news of the execution of the brave and revolutionary officer Behrooz Behrooznia. In Sanandaj, the number of demonstrators reached more than 50,000. They accused the regime of lack of good faith in the peaceful resolution of the Kurdistan issued by carrying placards in disgust with this criminal act. The city stroked totally as a day of public mourning on 27.09.1358 (18.12.1979). Regime’s newspapers had to publish and to reflect on it.
The name and memory of Behrooz Behrooznia and other revolutionary soldiers will always remain in the historical memory of our nation.
May their memory be cherished.
Author: Amir Lotfollah Nejadian
