Three members of a Kurdish family, including two women, arrested in Urmia

Hengaw — Friday, December 19, 2025

Three members of a Kurdish family, including two women, were violently arrested by Iranian government forces in Urmia and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, government forces arrested Sofi Rostami, 60, originally from Bayangan in Paveh County, his wife Zeinab Yousefpour, 49, from Bukan, and their daughter Shilan Rostami, 23, at their private residence in Urmia on Thursday, December 18, 2025. The arrests were carried out by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence.

A source familiar with the case said the arrests took place at around 5:00 p.m. following a raid on the family’s home and were carried out without a warrant.

Zeinab Yousefpour is the sister of Fattah Yousefpour, who was previously arrested on October 28, 2025, during a raid by Ministry of Intelligence forces on his family home that involved intimidation. He was released after 20 days of detention on bail and remains temporarily free pending the completion of legal proceedings.

The reasons for the arrests and the location where the detainees are being held remain unknown, and the family’s attempts to obtain clarification have so far been unsuccessful.