Iranian authorities arrest former political prisoner Kazhal Vatanpour

Hengaw – Saturday, January 17, 2026

Kazhal Vatanpour, a former Kurdish political prisoner and women’s and children’s rights activist, has been arrested by Iranian government forces during the recent protests in Gilan-e Gharb, Kermanshah Province.

According to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Vatanpour, also known as Hosna Vatanpour, was detained on Thursday, January 8, 2026, and transferred to an undisclosed location. No information regarding her fate or whereabouts has been released since her arrest.

Kazhal Vatanpour holds a master’s degree in law and has been active in the field of women’s and children’s rights.

She was previously arrested on September 21, 2022, during the Woman, Life, Freedom (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) uprising. At that time, she was violently detained at the entrance of the Children’s Park Library in Ilam while returning home.

Later that year, she was sentenced to two years and six months of imprisonment on charges including “disrupting public order,” “propaganda against the state,” and “collusion against national security.” The sentence was subsequently reduced on appeal to one year of imprisonment and a six-month suspended term. She was also subjected to a two-year travel ban, passport revocation, and mandatory legal counseling.

Following a summons to the Ilam Judiciary’s sentence enforcement branch, she was transferred to Ilam Central Prison on January 28, 2023, to begin serving her sentence.