Sanandaj; Arbitrary and Mass Detention of 10 Civil Activists and Former Political Prisoners

January 4, 2026; In the continuation of the wave of arbitrary detentions of Kurdish citizens, and with the aim of imposing an atmosphere of suppression and security over society following the popular protests of January 2026, at least 10 civil activists and former political prisoners named "Keyvan Zand-Karimi", "Shaho Mohammadi", "Jamal Khodarahmi", "Khabat Asadi", "Arman Salimi", "Khaled Seif-Panahi", "Ghaneh Khateri", "Bayan Farajollahi", "Dalir Eskandari", and "Vorya Moayad" were violently and arbitrarily detained by security forces and transferred to unknown locations.

An informed source told Kurdpa that these individuals were detained on Sunday, January 4, 2026, without the presentation of a judicial warrant, and these mass detentions occurred following an atmosphere of suppression and the threatening of dozens of civil activists in Sanandaj during the previous days.

Earlier, on Saturday, January 3, 2026, threatening text messages were sent to citizens, stating that any "activity in cyberspace and public spaces" would be considered an "action against national security and disruption of public order," threatening them with prosecution and punishment.

All these detentions were carried out through raids on homes and in a violent manner, and until the time of the report's publication, there is no information available regarding the status or place of detention for many of them.

The field of activity and the records of detention and conviction of these individuals include years of civil, labor, and political activity in Sanandaj and previous detentions by security agencies:

Khaled Seif-Panahi is the brother of the deceased Hamed Seif-Panahi; security forces raided his home and, while insulting and disrespecting his justice-seeking mother "Daye Khadijeh", detained him with violence. Khaled Seif-Panahi, a Kurdish citizen from Sanandaj, was sentenced in 2022 by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, presided over by Judge Hossein Saeedi, to 91 days of suspended imprisonment for a period of two years. This sentence was issued on the charge of "propaganda in favor of organizations opposed to the system" and due to the publication of a photo of his brother, Hamed Seif-Panahi, on social media. Part of this sentence was served in absentia, and Seif-Panahi protested, stating he had received no summons to appear in court and demanded a retrial. Hamed Seif-Panahi died in July 2017 during a clash with the IRGC on the Marivan–Sanandaj road.

Khabat Asadi, a labor activist, was previously threatened via telephone by the Sanandaj Intelligence Department on March 6, 2026, on the eve of March 8, International Women's Day, along with several other labor activists, stating that any participation in rallies on that day would lead to legal prosecution. He has a history of summons, detention, and the opening of security cases against him.

Arman Salimi, a Kurdish citizen and civil activist, has repeatedly been the target of prosecution and human rights violations; he was detained on March 23, 2022, during a Nowruz ceremony at the Kudak Park of Sanandaj, and during his detention, he was denied access to a lawyer and meetings with his family. He was released on April 7, 2022, after posting temporary bail. On May 28, 2022, he was acquitted of the charge of "collaboration with Kurdish opposition parties." On August 30, 2022, he was summoned to the Appeals Branch and, after providing a written commitment, was prohibited from civil activities; and on April 8, 2025, he defended himself during a court session addressing the charges against labor and civil activists in Sanandaj, including "propaganda against the system" and "disrupting public order."

Ghaneh Khateri, a Kurdish civil activist and political prisoner from Sanandaj, has repeatedly been the target of detention and judicial conviction: on May 18, 2021, he was detained along with four other activists without a judicial warrant and released on May 27, 2021, after posting bail; on February 6, 2025, he was again detained without a judicial warrant and on February 20, 2025, after 15 days, he was transferred to the Sanandaj Central Prison on bail; on May 25, 2025, he was sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj to 8 months of mandatory imprisonment on the charge of "propaganda against the system" and was transferred to prison on July 7, 2025, to serve the sentence; ultimately, he was released on September 29, 2025, after serving 85 days in prison. Previously, on November 6, 2021, he was tried along with six other activists in the case of the "Ziyanewey Kurdistan" campaign and was sentenced on May 19, 2022, to two years of mandatory imprisonment, which was reduced to 18 months on June 29, 2022, following an appeal.

Bayan Farajollahi, a citizen of Sanandaj, was detained at her home on the evening of July 17, 2023, by security forces without a judicial warrant and transferred to the detention center of the Sanandaj Intelligence Department. During her detention, she was denied access to a lawyer and meetings with her family. On August 26, 2023, she was released temporarily after posting a bail of two billion Tomans. Later, in January of that year, she was summoned to Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj for a final defense and was ultimately sentenced on January 22, 2024, to one year of mandatory imprisonment on the charge of "propaganda against the system in favor of one of the Kurdish parties opposed to the Iranian government."

Dalir Eskandari, a civil activist who has repeatedly taken positions against death sentences and the killing of Kolbars, was summoned to the Second Investigation Branch of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office of Sanandaj on August 1, 2022. He was summoned on the charge of "propaganda in favor of groups or organizations opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran" and, after recording his statements, was released until the end of the judicial proceedings after posting a bail of 100 million Tomans.

Vorya Moayad, a Kurdish citizen from Sanandaj, was detained by IRGC Intelligence in Baneh county on May 19, 2022, along with four other citizens. Following the detention, he was transferred to an unknown location.