Newroz celebrations in Kurdistan: Religious activist Shekh Zahid Shahabi forcibly arrested by Intelligence department in Saqqez

Hengaw: Monday, March 24, 2025

Shekh Zahid Shahabi, a Kurdish religious activist from Saqqez, was forcibly arrested by intelligence forces and transferred to an undisclosed location. He was among the attendees and speakers at a recent Newroz ceremony in Saqqez.

According to a report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, in the early hours of Monday, March 24, 2025 , Shekh Zahid Shahabi was arrested by the Intelligence Department in Saqqez.

Sources familiar with the matter reported that intelligence forces stormed the "Regay Azadi" (Path to Freedom) Khaniqah in Saqqez, intimidating and arresting Zahid Shahabi while also throwing the books in the Khaniqah outside.

In this regard, several civil activists in Saqqez had warned days earlier about the likelihood of such crackdowns following the Newroz celebrations, cautioning against fabricated cases targeting activists.

It is worth noting that on Friday, March 14, 2025, Shekh Zahid Shahabi attended the Newroz gathering on Jâqal Mountain in Saqqez, gave a brief speech, and ignited the Newroz fire at the end of the ceremony.

Notably, Zahed Shahabi's brother, Azad Shahabi, was shot and killed on July 18, 2024, along with two other religious activists, Peyman Mohammadi and Parviz Rahim Panah, at the Khaniqah where they were active.

Shortly afterward, civil activists in Saqqez, citing existing evidence and the longstanding record of state institutions, described the incident as an organized act of terrorism aimed at further repression.