The security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have detained at least seven Kurdish civilians in predominantly Kurdish populated Piranshahr and Bukan cities in West Azerbaijan Province on 19-20 January, following a wave of detentions of the Kurdish civilians and political activists that had started on 9 January across the country.
According to the information received by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, on 19 January, security agents affiliated with the intelligence service detained Karim Khalifani and Hesamoddin Khezri in the village of Kani Badagh, Rahman Ebrahimi in the village of Pasweh, and Rasoul Lavazeh in Piranshahr, .
At the same time, two residents from Bukan, Mohammad Haji Rasoulpour and Ali Zolfi, were taken into custody by the city’s intelligence service.
This morning, on 20 January, security forces detained a former political prisoner, Qader Rasoulpour, a resident of the village of Alikand of Bukan.
During their detention, security forces searched their homes and confiscated their personal belongings.
Until this moment, there is no information on why the seven civilians were taken into custody and where they have been taken to.
According to statistics gathered by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, at least 35 Kurdish civilians and activists have been detained since 9 January, and a number of others have been summoned to security agencies and interrogated for several hours. Of those detained, only Salman Advaei was released after a few days in detention, but 34 others remain in custody without the charges against them being indicated.