Minorities Under Attack: How the IRGC Targets Kurds, Baloch, and Religious Groups

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has systematically targeted ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, using violence, discrimination, and mass persecution to suppress their demands for rights and recognition. The Kurds, Baloch, and religious minorities—including Bahá’ís, Christians, and Sunni Muslims—face arbitrary arrests, executions, forced displacement, and economic marginalization at the hands of the IRGC.

While the Iranian regime portrays itself as an Islamic state committed to justice, its policies toward non-Persian ethnic groups and religious minorities reveal a pattern of state-sponsored discrimination and violence. The IRGC plays a key role in enforcing this oppression, using military force, surveillance, and legal persecution to maintain control.

This report examines the IRGC’s actions against minorities, highlighting key cases of abuse, methods of suppression, and international responses.

1. The IRGC’s Systematic Repression of Minorities

Iran is home to diverse ethnic and religious communities, but the government has long sought to enforce Persian and Shia supremacy, sidelining non-Persian ethnic groups and persecuting religious minorities. The IRGC has played a central role in enforcing these discriminatory policies.

A. The IRGC’s Justification for Targeting Minorities

 • Security Threat Labeling: The IRGC labels Kurdish, Baloch, and Arab activists as “separatists” or “terrorists” to justify crackdowns.

 • Religious Discrimination: Non-Shia Muslims and Bahá’ís are treated as threats to Iran’s Islamic identity and are denied fundamental rights.

 • Suppressing Opposition: Minority communities are more likely to demand autonomy, cultural rights, and political reforms, making them prime targets for repression.

2. The IRGC’s Targeting of Kurds

The Kurdish population in Iran (estimated at 8-10 million) has been historically marginalized and denied basic rights, including cultural and linguistic freedoms. The IRGC frequently conducts military operations in Kurdish regions, claiming to fight “separatists” while targeting civilians.

A. Executions and Mass Arrests

 • Kurdish political activists, journalists, and students face arbitrary detention and execution.

 • Iran executes more Kurds per capita than any other ethnic group.

 • Example: Kurdish activist Ramin Hossein Panahi was executed in 2018 after a sham trial and torture in IRGC custody.

B. Military Attacks on Kurdish Regions

 • The IRGC bombs villages and raids homes, targeting suspected Kurdish opposition members.

 • 2022 Mahsa Amini Protests: Kurdish cities like Sanandaj and Mahabad faced extreme violence, with the IRGC using live ammunition against protesters.

C. Economic Discrimination

 • Kurdish areas receive far less investment than Persian-majority regions.

 • Kurdish kolbars (border porters) are routinely shot by IRGC forces while transporting goods to survive economic hardship.

3. The IRGC’s Crackdown on Baloch Communities

Iran’s Baloch population (3-5 million) faces severe state discrimination, with the IRGC treating Baloch people as second-class citizens. The IRGC views Sunni Baloch Muslims as a threat and frequently targets them with violence and mass arrests.

A. Zahedan Massacre (2022)

 • In September 2022, IRGC forces opened fire on peaceful Sunni worshippers in Zahedan, killing over 90 civilians.

 • The attack, known as “Bloody Friday,” was one of the deadliest crackdowns on Baloch protesters in recent history.

B. Routine Executions and Torture

 • Baloch prisoners make up a disproportionate percentage of Iran’s executions.

 • Example: In 2021, Iran executed at least 19 Baloch prisoners in one week, without fair trials.

 • Detainees are subjected to torture, including beatings, electrocution, and forced confessions in IRGC-run prisons.

C. Extreme Poverty and Lack of Basic Services

 • The IRGC controls economic resources in Balochistan, keeping the population impoverished and underdeveloped.

• Education and healthcare services are severely lacking, with Baloch children having higher dropout rates than the national average.

4. The IRGC’s Persecution of Religious Minorities

The IRGC enforces strict Shia Islamist policies, marginalizing non-Shia Muslims and non-Islamic faiths.

A. Bahá’ís: Systematic Discrimination and Persecution

 • The IRGC views Bahá’ís as heretics and actively persecutes them.

 • Bahá’ís are barred from universities, denied jobs, and frequently arrested.

 • Bahá’í homes and businesses are routinely confiscated or destroyed by IRGC-led forces.

 • Example: In 2022, at least 200 Bahá’ís were arrested, and dozens of properties were seized in a coordinated IRGC operation.

B. Sunni Muslims: Restricted Worship and Discrimination

 • The IRGC prevents Sunni Muslims from building mosques in major cities like Tehran.

 • Sunni clerics are harassed, arrested, or forced into exile.

 • Sunni political figures have disappeared or been executed after speaking out against discrimination.

C. Christians and Converts

 • Converting from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death in Iran, and the IRGC frequently arrests Christian converts.

 • Underground churches are raided, and Christian pastors face long prison sentences for “acting against national security”.

 • Example: Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was sentenced to death for apostasy before international pressure forced his release.

5. The IRGC’s Methods of Suppression

A. Mass Surveillance and Digital Censorship

 • The IRGC monitors online activity, tracking activists and religious leaders who advocate for minority rights.

 • Messaging apps, social media platforms, and news websites related to minorities are blocked.

B. Forced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings

 • The IRGC operates secret detention centers where minority activists are tortured and executed.

 • Families of the disappeared are never informed of their loved ones’ fates.

C. Targeting Families and Communities

 • The IRGC uses collective punishment, arresting family members of Kurdish, Baloch, and Bahá’í activists.

 • Entire villages are raided when opposition figures speak out.

6. International Responses and Calls for Action

Despite overwhelming evidence of human rights abuses, global responses have been slow and inconsistent.

A. U.S. and EU Sanctions

 • The U.S. and EU have sanctioned IRGC officials involved in minority repression.

 • However, stronger measures are needed to target IRGC-controlled economic networks.

B. UN and Human Rights Investigations

 • The United Nations has condemned IRGC violence against minorities, but Iran refuses cooperation.

 • Human rights organizations call for independent investigations into crimes against humanity.

C. Calls for IRGC Terrorist Designation

 • The United States has designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, but Europe has not.

 • Activists urge the EU and UK to follow the U.S. in officially labeling the IRGC a terrorist group.

Conclusion: Holding the IRGC Accountable

The IRGC systematically targets and oppresses Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities, using executions, arrests, military raids, and forced displacement to maintain control.