37th Anniversary of the Assassination of Kurdish Leader Dr. Abdul Rahman Qasimlo
ARK News.. Today, Monday, July 13, 2026, marks the 37th anniversary of the assassination of Kurdish leader Dr. Abdul Rahman Qasimlo, secretary-general of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), who was killed in Vienna, Austria, along with two of his companions by Iranian intelligence agents.
A Brief Biography
Dr. Abdul Rahman Qasimlo (1930–1989) was one of the most prominent Kurdish leaders in East Kurdistan (Iranian Kurdistan) during the second half of the 20th century and one of the leading Kurdish intellectuals who devoted his life to promoting the rights and aspirations of the Kurdish people.
He was born in the Qasimlo Valley near the city of Urmia. He pursued his studies in Tehran, Iraq, and Istanbul before moving to Europe with the assistance of the late Kurdish writer Mousa Antar, where he completed his higher education and earned a Ph.D. in Czechoslovakia.
Qasimlo began his political activities in 1945, playing a role in founding the Union of Democratic Youth in Kurdistan. In 1947, he moved to France to continue his studies.
He took part in numerous demonstrations organized by the National Front Party and was a strong supporter of the ideas and political vision of Mohammad Mossadegh.
In the early 1950s, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran held its second congress, during which its Central Committee and Executive Committee were established. Qasimlo was elected Chairman of the Central Committee.
In an article titled "Iranian Kurdistan," published in the book "A People Without a Country," Qasimlo described conditions in Kurdish regions at the time:
"Kurdistan had become a military zone compared to the rest of Iran. It was ruled by the army and the police, especially SAVAK. Popular movements suffered greatly, and the security forces monitored even the movements of individual Kurds, pursuing them from one village to another."
In June 1971, after being released from a prison in Tehran, Qasimlo presided over the party's fourth congress as secretary-general. During that period, the party received political, financial, and military support from the Tudah Party, strengthening cooperation between the two movements, particularly regarding opposition to the Shah and their positions on Iran's working class.
At the same time, Qasimlo lectured at the University of Prague in Czechoslovakia before moving to France, where he taught Kurdish language and history at the Sorbonne University.
In late 1978, he returned to East Kurdistan, where he reorganized and expanded the KDPI's branches. During the turmoil accompanying the Iranian Revolution, Kurdish forces affiliated with the party assumed control of several Kurdish-populated areas.
On July 13, 1989, Dr. Abdul Rahman Qasimlo was assassinated in Vienna, together with two of his companions, during negotiations with representatives of the Iranian government. The assassination has widely been attributed to Iranian intelligence operatives.
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