Vahab Khediripour is the cousin of Shamal Khediripour, who was killed during the anti-government Women, Life, Freedom protests in the city.

His brother Sohrab Khediripour, a member of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), was also killed in a clash with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2021.

Arrest

Khediripour was arrested after being summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, on 29 January 2025.

Defendant’s Rights

He was arrested without a warrant and was denied family visits and access to legal representation during his detention.

Current Status

Khediripour was sent to Mahabad Prison after several weeks in detention at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Mahabad, and was provisionally released on bail of five billion rials (nearly 5,500 USD) on 19 February 2025.

Notes:

1. Shamal Khediripour, 32, was shot by IRGC forces on 20 November 2022 during the anti-government Women, Life, Freedom protests in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province. He died of his wounds on 24 November 2022 after being hospitalised for several days in Khomeini Hospital in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province.

2. Women, Life, Freedom Uprising: Jina Amini (Mahsa Amini), a 21-year-old Kurdish woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, was arrested on a street in Tehran on 13 September 2022 by the morality police because of the way she was dressed. Shortly after her arrest, she was transferred to Kasra Hospital in Tehran with head injuries and symptoms of brain death, and passed away three days later on 16 September 2022. The government’s killing of Jina sparked unprecedented anti-government protests, which began with a large turnout at her funeral at Aichi Cemetery in Saqqez and quickly spread to many cities across Iran. These widespread protests against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which lasted for several months, resulted in at least 527 protesters being killed and thousands injured and arrested. The protests are known for their central slogan of “Women, Life, Freedom” (Kurdish: Jin, Jiyan, Azadi).