Concern grows over health of activist Houshyar Shabani, shot during arrest and held incommunicado

Hengaw – Monday, October 6, 2025

Mounting concern surrounds the condition of Kurdish civil activist and former political prisoner Houshyar Shabani, who has been held incommunicado for more than six weeks following his arrest by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. Despite repeated attempts by his family in Baneh, Saqqez and Sanandaj (Sine) to obtain information, authorities have refused to disclose his condition or whereabouts.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, forty-seven days have passed since Shabani’s arrest, and his fate and place of detention remain unknown.

A reliable source told Hengaw that Shabani’s family, including his elderly parents, have made numerous visits to intelligence and security offices but received no response regarding his situation or physical health.

Since his arrest, Shabani has been denied access to his lawyer and any regular contact with his family. He was allowed only one brief phone call to his mother after her visit to the intelligence office in Sanandaj, during which he confirmed his identity but was not permitted to discuss his health or location.

Hengaw has learned that Shabani was shot three times in the legs when security forces opened fire on his vehicle at the time of arrest. His family has not been informed about his access to medical treatment, raising serious concern for his wellbeing.

Shabani was arrested on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, in the Kani-Sur area of Baneh after intelligence agents fired on his moving car and detained him while wounded.

He has previously been arrested and prosecuted multiple times for his civil activities. Between 2017 and 2022, Shabani was detained for participating in civic campaigns, including initiatives supporting kolbars (cross-border porters) and labor strikes, and was sentenced to prison on at least two occasions.