Kurdistan Human Rights Network
Norway-registered Kurdish human rights NGO; parent of Hengaw; tracks Iran executions and detentions.
Last refreshed: 25 April 2026
How does a Norway-based NGO verify execution counts inside a wartime Iran?
Timeline for Kurdistan Human Rights Network
Iran executes Erfan Kiani, eighth wartime hanging
Iran Conflict 2026- What is the Kurdistan Human Rights Network?
- The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) is a Norway-registered NGO founded in 2017 and the parent organisation of Hengaw. It monitors and documents human rights violations by Iranian authorities, operating from Norway to avoid interference. During the 2026 conflict it has been the primary public source for political execution counts in Iran.Source: Kurdistan Human Rights Network, Hengaw 25 April 2026 reporting
- How does the Kurdistan Human Rights Network get information from inside Iran?
- KHRN's operational Arm Hengaw maintains monitor networks inside Iran that track judicial processes, detentions, and executions in near-real-time. The Norway-based registration keeps the organisation outside the reach of Iranian authorities seeking to suppress documentation.Source: Kurdistan Human Rights Network methodology
- Is the Kurdistan Human Rights Network a credible source?
- KHRN's Norway registration and case-specific documentation — including individual names, dates, and charges — make it a credible source cited by foreign governments and human rights bodies tracking Iranian wartime repression. Its individual-case specificity distinguishes it from aggregate-statistics advocacy organisations.Source: Kurdistan Human Rights Network, Hengaw 25 April 2026 reporting
- What has the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported about executions in the 2026 Iran war?
- KHRN, through Hengaw, has documented eight political prisoner executions since the Iran-Israel war began as of 25 April 2026. The most recent was Erfan Kiani, executed in Isfahan on 25 April 2026 on moharebeh charges after arrest at anti-war protests.Source: Hengaw, 25 April 2026
Background
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) is a Norway-registered NGO founded in 2017 and parent organisation of Hengaw. KHRN reported the execution of Erfan Kiani on 25 April 2026, identifying him as the eighth political prisoner executed since the Iran-Israel war began.
KHRN operates from Norway, positioning it outside the reach of Iranian authorities seeking to suppress documentation. Hengaw, its operational Arm, maintains monitor networks inside Iran tracking judicial processes, detentions, and executions in near-real-time.
During the 2026 wartime period, KHRN/Hengaw data has become the primary public source for political execution counts, with a level of individual-case specificity that distinguishes it from aggregate-statistics advocacy organisations.
