October 4, 2026 — Nearly seven months after the arbitrary arrest of Arman Khaleqpanah, a 35-year-old Kurdish youth from Saqqez who was reportedly wounded during his apprehension, no information regarding his fate or condition has been disclosed. Despite repeated inquiries by his family, no judicial or security body has provided a definitive, written answer confirming whether he is alive or deceased. Meanwhile, state records in Iran’s National Organization for Civil Registration continue to list Khaleqpanah’s status as "living." Consequently, his situation constitutes a clear case of enforced disappearance—a status met with complete silence by the security and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic.

An informed source close to the family confirmed the details to Kurdpa: "With 211 days having passed since the arbitrary arrest of Arman Khaleqpanah by Ministry of Intelligence agents—during which he was reportedly wounded from the waist down—there is no news regarding his life or fate. His family has repeatedly appealed to various judicial and security institutions during this period, but has received no answer as to whether he is alive or dead. Yet, his status in the National Organization for Civil Registration remains registered as 'living.'"

Elaborating on the family's advocacy efforts, the source added that since the initial day of his arrest, Khaleqpanah’s family has repeatedly visited prosecutor's offices and courts in Saqqez, the provincial capital of Sanandaj, and Tehran. Only at the Supreme Court level did the Prosecutor General’s Office for Agent Oversight in Tehran verbally tell them that "one person was killed." However, no documentation—such as a death certificate, forensic medical report, or body—has been delivered to the family, and Arman Khaleqpanah’s identity entry in the civil registry continues to state "living."

A copy of the latest identity and civil registry query dated October 3, 2026, obtained by Kurdpa, confirms that his official status in the civil registry database is still listed as "living."

Highlighting the family’s agonizing uncertainty, the source noted: "No institution provides a clear answer to the family; they should at least tell the family whether he is alive or dead." From the earliest days of his arbitrary arrest, Khaleqpanah’s family searched cemeteries across Kurdistan Province and questioned cemetery workers about potential burials matching his description, but no records or sightings of a burial fitting Arman Khaleqpanah were found.

The lack of official communication extends to basic identification procedures. According to the source, Khaleqpanah carried no identification documents at the time of his arrest, yet no authority has requested identity papers from the family or attempted contact with them.

During these 211 days of incommunicado holding, the family received a single, fleeting sign of hope: approximately two months post-arrest, a document was issued to Qorveh Prison indicating that Khaleqpanah was scheduled for transfer to the prison's quarantine ward. However, upon following up directly at Qorveh Prison, the family discovered that the administrative letter had been issued merely as a deceptive tactic ("rad-e gam-koni-ye edari") to mislead their search.

On March 8, 2026, Arman Khaleqpanah was traveling in a private vehicle alongside Sheikh Zahed Shahabi when IRGC Intelligence forces surrounded them at the entrance to Saqqez. Reports indicate that security forces, suspecting they were carrying contraband, opened fire without prior warning. Khaleqpanah sustained gunshot wounds from the waist down, while Sheikh Zahed Shahabi was arrested on the spot.

Sheikh Zahed Shahabi remains held in Saqqez Central Prison without access to legal representation and has suffered severe weight loss following physical and psychological torture.

Arman Khaleqpanah, born August 31, 1991, is the son of Ata, unmarried, and was self-employed in vehicle trading and freight transport prior to his detention.

Given the 211 days of complete incommunicado status, the absence of official disclosure, and the continued registration of his status as "living," Kurdpa considers Arman Khaleqpanah’s situation a clear instance of enforced disappearance. Under international human rights obligations, authorities of the Islamic Republic are required to investigate his fate and whereabouts and provide verifiable information to his family. The ongoing refusal to account for his status constitutes not only a continuous violation of Khaleqpanah’s fundamental rights but also subjects his family to psychological torture and cruel, inhuman treatment.

The arrest of Arman Khaleqpanah occurred just one week after the outbreak of the 40-day military conflict, during a period marked by intense militarization and heightened security measures across Iran, particularly in Kurdistan. In this atmosphere of widespread arrests and violent enforcement, the unannounced shooting by security forces, Khaleqpanah's resulting injuries, and the subsequent total blackout regarding his fate significantly heighten concerns that he may have been the victim of an extrajudicial killing.

In this context, accountability rests not only with the operational forces directly involved in his arrest, but also with every institution and official approached by the family—from prosecutor offices and courts in Saqqez, Sanandaj, and Tehran, to the Supreme Court and administration of Qorveh Prison. Despite sustained family inquiries, these entities have failed to produce transparent or documented details regarding his location, physical condition, or fate. This systemic failure aligns with findings documented in Amnesty International's latest reports on Iran's command structure of repression, which detail the responsibility of officials at various hierarchy levels for enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and gross human rights violations.