Iranian security forces have impeded the return of Mansour Karimian’s body, a Kurdish filmmaker from Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, and have opposed his burial in his hometown.
Karimian, 39, who had traveled to Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) for a film project in recent months, was killed in a Turkish military drone strike in Derik on December 23, 2023.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Karimian’s body was transported from Qamishli in Syrian Kurdistan to Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in recent days, with plans for subsequent transfer to Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, for burial.
However, despite the family’s efforts and follow-up, opposition from Iranian security forces led authorities at the Bashmagh border terminal in Marivan, Kurdistan Province, to block the entry of the Kurdish artist’s remains into Iran.
Following the opposition from Iranian security forces, Karimian is now scheduled to be laid to rest in Sulaymaniyah on January 7.
The funeral ceremony for the Kurdish filmmaker took place on December 27 at the Chahar Yar-e Nabi mosque in Sanandaj, drawing a large attendance from the local community.
Karimian, with a cinematic career spanning 20 years, was involved in various aspects of filmmaking, including photography, cinematography, sound recording, and directing.
In particular, he contributed to the cinematography of two recent films, namely “Tava Sor” (The Red Sun in Kurdish) and “Evina Kurd” (The Kurd’s Love in Kurdish).