Why is it that wherever there is terror, the killing of Iranian people, terrorist groups’ activities and harm to Iran’s stability, economy, and security, we must also witness the overt and systematic activity and support of the Dutch government?
In a statement, Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the holding of a meeting in the Netherlands by Kurdish armed groups affiliated with PJAK, PKK, and other Kurdish militant groups. The organization called on the Dutch government to counter the continued activities of these violent and human rights-violating groups on European soil.
This reaction follows a conference titled “Consultative Conference of Rojhelat (eastern) Kurdistan” held on April 26th and 27th, 2025, in the Netherlands, a meeting that saw the active participation of known members of Kurdish armed groups. This comes just days after Qasim al-Araji, Iraq’s National Security Advisor, officially announced that the activities of these groups are prohibited in Iraqi territory and that their military camps in the Kurdistan Region must be dismantled. These remarks by the Iraqi National Security Advisor allude to the security agreement between Iran and Iraq, according to which the Iraqi government is obligated to prevent the activities of all anti-Iranian armed groups on its soil, particularly in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch emphasizes that many participants in this meeting are figures affiliated with the terrorist groups PJAK, PKK, and other Kurdish militant groups, some of which are on the terrorist organization lists of the European Union and the United States. These individuals, exploiting the open political climate in Europe, particularly in the realm of freedom of expression, continue to use the continent as a base to organize violent actions, promote war and terror and armed actions, employ child soldiers, and destabilize Iran’s border regions. The use of European soil to promote armed actions and violate freedom and human rights in Iran’s border regions occurs while the leaders of these groups reside in Europe in complete peace and security, merely using deceived youths to carry out their sinister aims. While European countries, including the Netherlands, prohibit any conferences, gatherings, political-media activities, etc., for ISIS, how can they allow other terrorist groups, who also use children as soldiers, to operate?
Citing dozens of documented reports, Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch warns about these groups’ systematic use of children in military activities, acts of violence against women and girls, enforced disappearances, indiscriminate landmine placements, attacks on civilians, and extortion from development and economic projects in Iran’s border regions. The organization states that the continued free operation of these groups in a country like the Netherlands, which considers itself committed to the principles of human rights, is a clear example of double standards and a form of indirect support for terrorism. This is happening while the Dutch government, despite the opposition of a significant portion of its people and non-governmental and human rights organizations, maintains close ties with the Israeli regime and is one of its most important political-diplomatic supporters and one of the largest arms exporters to the criminal Israeli regime. Simultaneously supporting a terrorist regime and several terrorist groups that have repeatedly murdered citizens of the Iranian government damages the human rights image and legal-international obligations of the Dutch government. Indeed, why is it that wherever there is terror, the killing of Iranian people, and harm to Iran’s stability, economy, and security, we must also witness the overt and systematic activity and support of the Dutch government?
Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch calls on the Dutch government, members of parliament, human rights institutions, and independent media in the country to be vigilant against these groups’ instrumental and hypocritical exploitation of human rights and freedom of expression concepts to advance their violent and separatist goals, and to prevent the continued operation of media outlets and offices affiliated with these groups on Dutch soil. PJAK is the Iranian branch of the PKK, and the PKK is considered a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, Turkey, Iran, and many human rights NGOs. In its nearly half-century of activity, the PKK has achieved nothing but the creation of armed groups in Syria, Iraq, and Iran, the killing of civilians, the distribution and production of narcotics, and harm to European security, especially in Germany. PJAK is also the prime suspect in dozens of terrorist acts in Iran, extortion, the use of children as soldiers, and the exploitation of Kurdish women.
The statement, which has also been sent to Dutch and European Union authorities, concludes: “One cannot oppose terrorism in the Middle East but allow it to operate and organize in Europe. Groups like PJAK, PKK, PAK, Komala, and the KDP-I appear with a cosmetic facade at conferences, but their real goals are nothing but destabilization, human trafficking, the militarization of Kurdish regions, and the exploitation of women and children. Are Dutch taxpayers content that their money is being spent to support such groups?”
Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch has announced that, along with this statement, it will send a collection of its legal and human rights documentation to European Union institutions and the United Nations. It has also called on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to take a decisive and proportionate response to these irresponsible actions through legal and diplomatic channels. The organization also urges the central government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to take practical and effective measures to end violence, extremism, and terrorism by Kurdish militant groups.
