Kurdistan Human Rights Network

Detained former Iranian and world wrestling champion Saman Pashaei is currently undergoing coercive interrogations for forced "confessions" at the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Sananda, Kurdistan Province. An informed source who spoke to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) and said that after 45 days in detention, Pashaei was finally granted a visit by his family. At least two security officers were present at the...

Security forces arrested Kurdish civilians Hossein Mahmoudpour, Hamzeh Ghanei, Omar Hosseinzadeh, Hedi Abdolbakht, and Najmaddin Eisazadeh in Oshnavieh and Piranshahr in West Azerbaijan Province in recent days, taking them to undisclosed locations. The arrests are part of a recent wave of arrests of Kurdish activists and civilians ahead of the anniversary of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that...

Detained civilians Sahar Ahmadi, Zilan Molaei and Zeryan Molaei were provisionally released on bail from the Juvenile Detention Centre of Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, in recent days. In addition, activist Pouria Ahmadi informed his family by telephone that he had been transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Sanandaj to a facility run by the ministry in Tehran, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN)...

Security forces today arrested civilian Firmesk Babaei after she removed her compulsory hijab and chanted anti-government slogans on a street leading to the governor's office in Paveh, Kermanshah Province. Babaei, who was reportedly beaten during her arrest, has been taken to an undisclosed location.

In a recent wave of arrests, at least three more Kurdish civilians including Arsalan Kheyri, Mamal Sharifi and Hiva Rahnavard, were arrested by security forces in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province, and taken to undisclosed locations. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Hiva Rahnavard was arrested by security forces in the village of Bafarvan in Mahabad on 16 August. In addition, on 15 August,...

Security forces arrested Kurdish civilians Hiva Shabahang, Ayoub Mirzaei, Shirvan Khezri, Hedayat Khasteh, Sherko Nasiri, and Ashkan Rasouli in the cities of Oshnavieh and Mahabad in West Azerbaijan Province in recent days. Early morning raids on 16 August targeted the homes of three civilians from the village of Gog Tapeh in Mahabad – Hedayat Khasteh, Sherko Nasiri, and Ashkan Rasouli. The arrests were made without...

Fereshteh Mansouri, a Kurdish civil rights activist from Sarableh, Ilam Province, has been sentenced to six months and one day in prison by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court of Chardavol, Ilam Province. Mansouri was convicted of "spreading falsehoods with the intention of disturbing public opinion". Mansouri's trial took place on 5 August and she was charged with "spreading falsehoods with the intention of disturbing public...

Prisoner Saeid Biranvand was executed for murder-related charges on 13 August in Parsiloun Prison in Khorramabad, Lorestan Province. Biranvand, who comes from the village of Bid Gijeh in Khorramabad, was arrested about five years ago on charges of "premeditated murder". His death sentence was handed down under the Islamic law of qisas, or retribution-in-kind, which gives the victim’s family the right to retaliate.

Security forces arrested Kurdish civilians Loghman Sokhanvar and Houshyar Ghaderi, a 17-year-old child, in Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan Province, on 14 August and took them to an undisclosed location. Security forces stopped Sokhanvar's vehicle in Piranshahr and arrested him without presenting a judicial order. Simultaneously, security forces raided Gahderi's family home in the village of Shinabad in Piranshahr and arrested him. There is no information on the charges...