A Kurdish refugee and human rights activist has expressed strong support for the UK Home Office’s proposed move to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, urging British officials to remain resolute in the face of political pressure.

London, UK — May 7, 2025

Alaan (Mehdi) Hamidihedyat, a member and representative of the National Center for Eastern Kurdistan in the UK, thanked Dan Jarvis, Deputy Secretary of State for Security, for his initiative and leadership on the matter. In a public statement, Hamidihedyat emphasized the dangers posed by the IRGC's transnational activities, especially against dissidents and minorities abroad.

“As a Kurd, an Iranian citizen, and a refugee now living in the UK, I support this action and ask the Honorable Minister and Mr. Dan Jarvis to remain steadfast until it comes to fruition,” he stated.

Hamidihedyat recounted his own harrowing journey, including eight years spent as a refugee in Turkey. He highlighted the risks refugees faced after the UNHCR ceased its operations there in 2018, leaving many vulnerable to deportation or targeted violence. “The dangers of the Islamic Republic's terrorist actions abroad, especially in neighboring countries such as Turkey, forced me to leave and seek refuge in the UK,” he explained. He was granted asylum in Britain in October 2024.

Citing the assassination of Kurdish political leader Musa Babakhani in Iraqi Kurdistan—a personal friend—Hamidihedyat warned that Iran’s extraterritorial repression remains a persistent threat. “I and most of my friends were always at risk of assassination and had to live with fear and stress,” he said.

While noting that safety conditions in the UK and Europe are significantly better, he cautioned against complacency. “The news still makes us vigilant,” he said. “I ask you not to be complacent and not to eliminate this decision based on political deals.”

The UK government's consideration to blacklist the IRGC has garnered support from various human rights organizations and opposition groups, though the final decision remains pending amid wider geopolitical calculations.