Physics lecturer Hossein Rabi arrested by security forces in Sulaymaniyah

Hengaw — Thursday, November 27, 2025

Iranian Kurdish academic Hossein Rabi, a physics lecturer and political analyst from Saqqez, has been arrested by security forces in the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for reasons that remain unclear. His family only learned of his detention after 14 hours of continuous inquiries.

According to information obtained by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Rabi, who lives in Sulaymaniyah and works as a university lecturer, was detained by security forces in the city at around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

A family member told Hengaw that, after 14 hours of searching for information, they eventually confirmed that Rabi is being held at the Asayish detention facility in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region.

Shortly before his arrest, Rabi had told the head of the physics department at the University of Sulaymaniyah in a phone call that he was handling a banking matter.

Rabi has worked as a lecturer at the University of Sulaymaniyah for several years. He posts commentary on politics and society on his social-media accounts and is occasionally invited to media outlets as a political analyst.

Khalid Mawti, director of Asayish Sulaymaniyah, stated in an interview that Rabi was arrested following a complaint filed against him related to “electronic crimes,” without providing details. This has raised concerns that his political writings may be connected to his detention.

However, individuals close to Rabi told Hengaw that he was detained because of his criticism of the policies of certain political parties and Islamic groups in the region.