Rahmat Sharifi, the first executed teacher as a member of the “Democratic Society of Engaged Teachers of Kurdistan”

Rahmat Sharifi was born in 1958. He was executed on 3/7/1360 Iranian calendar (25/9/1981) in Tabriz prison along with the teacher of mathematics Hassan Azizpouraghdam, teacher of secondary school 14 Azar in Sardasht. Rahmat was only 21 years old and his alleged accusation was the membership in Fadayian Khalq Organization of Iran (Minority). He was severely tortured during his detention. But he never kneeled to confess and never surrendered to torturers such as Shahabi, Ali Safavi, Akbar and Rasouli. These were the torturers of Sardasht Prison at that time and played a key role in the interrogation and torturing of him and other political prisoners in city of Sardasht.

Shahabi, Ali Safavi, Akbar and Rasouli were the torturers of Sardasht Prison at that time and played a key role in the interrogation and torturing of him and other political prisoners in city of Sardasht.

Rahmat Sharifi, in addition to being a member of Fadayian Khalq Organization of Iran (Minority), and its organizational responsibility in Sardasht, was also the first deceased teacher to be a member of the Democratic Society of Engaged Teachers of Kurdistan. The Democratic Society of Engaged Teachers of Kurdistan worked against illiteracy and educated children in the cities and villages of Kurdistan. Rahmat transferred the magazine of his organization in 1980/1981 from Mahabad and Bukan and he also distributed the magazines in Sardasht also. Mahabad and Bukan were the free cities which were not occupied by the Islamic Regime at that time. In this way, he was exposed to threat and the persecution of the Regime.

Shahabi, Ali Safavi, Akbar and Rasouli were the torturers of Sardasht Prison at that time and played a key role in the interrogation and torturing of him and other political prisoners in city of Sardasht.

Then he fell into the hands of the mercenaries of the Islamic Republic with a bag full of magazines and letters of his organization. Despite enduring torture, he did not reveal even the smallest secrets of the organization and did not betray his comrades. Rahmat Sharifi was a well-known and influential figure among the masses of the people of Sardasht and its suburbs. He was an honest comrade with knowledge of political and social issues. He participated in street discussions with great enthusiasm in the years 1978, 1979 and even 1980 in Sardasht which was not yet under the control of the regime’s repressive forces.

He always had a number of books under his arm and distributed them to his comrades. He spent most of his free time studying or discussing with his comrades and friends on “Shakhi Jo” Mountain, outside the city of Sardasht. He sincerely tried to raise the awareness of his friends and comrades and cordially shared his knowledge and experiences with his comrades and friends. His most difficult period of life was the separation of the organization into two fractions “Minority and the Majority”. It caused a large disappointment and confusion that it gripped the members and activists of the organization. Two of his very close comrades were also executed in Orumyieh Prison in fall of 1980, shortly after their split. These comrades were Mansour Khosravi and Fakhrieh Shidaei.

When Mrs. Simin Firoozi, the mother of Comrade Rahmat Sharifi, came to pick up his body, she was demanded to pay 9000 toman as indemnity for 9 bullets fired at his body. Although she was not old, and had no precedential health problem, she unfortunately suffered from a stroke due to the trauma of losing her child. She died a few years later. Mrs. Firoozi was an example of a devoted and compassionate mother, and also the mother of three Komala peshmergas.

These are the last words of hero Rahmat Sharifi he wrote before he was executed (last will)