Iranian authorities have detained and accused a prominent Kurdish writer of “national security” violations

Hengaw: Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Dr. Luqman Qanbari, a writer and literary translator, has been detained by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is under interrogation on “security” accusations. He translated the book "Kurds in the Unstable Middle East" by Ofra Bengio, an Arab historian.

According to a report received by the Hengaw organization for Human Rights, in the early hours of Sunday, April 7, 2024, Dr. Luqman Qanbari was detained by a large number of intelligence forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at his residence in Serpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah province.

According to a source familiar with the incident, the IRGC intelligence forces raided Dr. Luqman Qanbari's residence with a court warrant and confiscated his personal belongings, including his mobile phone, laptop, and degree certificates.

Hengaw has been informed that Dr. Luqman Qanbari was released after 40 hours under pressure and interrogation by IRGC intelligence personnel.

According to a reliable source, the IRGC intelligence forces gained access to Dr. Qanbari's email and have accused him of being in contact with Ofra Bengio, an Arab writer and the author of the book "Kurds in the Unstable Middle East," as well as "in contact with Israel," translating the book "Kurds in Iran" by Karim Yildiz, and promoting "Pankurdism," a Kurdish nationalist ideology.

It is important to note that the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran has refused to issue a permit for the publishing of the book "Kurds in Iran."