Prisoners in Mahabad staged a protest against their continued detention under wartime conditions after a Basij centre belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) near Mahabad Prison was bombed, prompting a forceful response from special forces who fired tear gas inside the facility.
An informed source in Mahabad who spoke to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), said: “At around noon on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, one of the IRGC’s Basij centres near Mahabad Prison was bombed by US and Israeli military aircraft. As a result of the attack, the windows of many nearby homes and shops were shattered. Prisoners also protested against being held in wartime conditions by setting fire to blankets. Special forces entered Mahabad Prison and attacked the prisoners by firing tear gas.”
According to the source, the situation inside the prison has since partially stabilised. However, the facility’s telephone lines have been cut, leading families of detainees to gather outside the prison to seek information about their loved ones.
Prison authorities have stated that prisoners’ cases will be reviewed individually, and some are expected to be released on bail or granted leave temporarily.
Over the past several days, heavy aerial bombardments have led to a significant tightening of security measures in prisons across Kurdistan.
The number of ward officers in prison wards has increased significantly, ward doors have been locked, and prisoners have been barred from accessing the gym and library.
IRGC forces have also been deployed inside the grounds of Orumiyeh Central Prison.
