One hundred political, Iranian Kurdish civil and human rights activists demanded accountability from the regime regarding the killing of Kurdish political prisoners.

In a statement on Friday, the signatories slammed the "arbitrary arrests" and deaths of Kurdish political prisoners, expressing serious concern over the practice.

The judicial authorities and related security institutions are responsible for saving the lives of political prisoners and any delay and failure to address the issue will heighten the public sensitivity in this regard, the group stated.

In recent days, the bodies of at least two Kurdish political prisoners, Peyman Galwani, 24, from Mahabad, and Mousa Esmaili, 35, from a village in Piranshahr in Iran’s West Azarbaijan province, have been handed over to their families by the security agencies.

Kurdish human rights organizations reported that both of them were tortured to death in detention.

Galwani’s family was informed that he had "fallen from a height" leading to his comatose state, the cause of death given for innumerable opposition activists, which many believe were in fact murdered by state agents. 

He was violently arrested by the security forces at his family home in Mahabad on June 25.

Esmaili was arrested on May 7 while agents confiscated his car. According to Hengaw, a source close to Ismaili's family said, "without any explanation or providing evidence of any judicial process and trial the security officers only said that Mousa was executed.”

Iranian intelligence and security agencies often bring unsubstantiated charges against dissidents, who are then tried behind closed doors without a lawyer. Several have died in unclear circumstances and torture.