Iranian intelligence arrests Kurdish language instructor Semko Yousefi in Bukan

Hengaw – Monday, December 8, 2025

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence has arrested Semko Yousefi, a writer, poet, civil activist, and Kurdish language instructor from Bukan.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Yousefi — a well-known civil and environmental activist — was detained on Monday, December 8, 2025.

Sources told Hengaw that intelligence agents violently apprehended him on a street in Bukan, severely beating him before transferring him to an undisclosed location.

Yousefi was previously arrested on May 26, 2025, when intelligence forces raided his home. He was later released on bail.

He is also a core member of Jinbanan, an environmental organization active in Bukan.