Security forces detain Kurdish athlete and coach Chiya Rezaei in Sanandaj

Hengaw – Saturday, September 6, 2025 

Chiya Rezaei, a Kurdish Muay Thai coach, and former Asian champion, was arrested by forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Sanandaj (Sine) and transferred to an undisclosed location. 

Information gathered by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights shows that on Friday, September 5, 2025, Rezaei, an athlete from Sanandaj, was detained by security forces. 

A source reported that Rezaei was arrested after leaving a sports hall in the Basat district of Sanandaj. Security forces also confiscated his car and mobile phone. 

No reliable information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest, the charges against him, his place of detention, or his current condition.