At least 18 Kurds detained across multiple cities

Hengaw – Friday, January 30, 2026

Iranian authorities have detained at least 18 Kurds across multiple cities, including Sardasht, Ilam, Shiraz, Sanandaj, Bijar, Bukan, Shirvan, Abdanan, Chardavol, Malekshahi, Badreh, Sirvan, Tehran, and Ivan.

Hengaw has verified the identities of those detained, who have been held amid a wave of repression and arbitrary detentions. Further details are provided below.

Ilam, Abdanan, Malekshahi, Badreh, Sirvan, Chardavol, and Ivan:

Ahmad Alizadeh, a 52-year-old teacher and civil activist from Abdanan, was detained by IRGC Intelligence forces while returning to the city and transferred to an unknown location, according to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. The detention took place on the evening of Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Alizadeh had previously been sentenced to 27 months in prison in connection with the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, a term he has already served. In February 2025, he relocated to Fanouj, in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, to serve an exile sentence.

Hezha Omidi, a 36-year-old from Malekshahi, was detained during a violent raid on his home and transferred to an unknown location. The detention occurred on Monday, January 26, 2026, and five days later, no information has been released regarding his fate.

Nouraddin Chalangar, 30, from Chardavol County in Ilam Province, was detained by government forces and transferred to an unknown location at the same time.

Hossein Shokri, a licensed lawyer, university lecturer, and resident of the Zarneh district in Ivan County, was detained by government forces on Sunday, January 25, 2026. He is married and the father of one child.

Saeed Karimbeigi, from Badreh, was detained during a violent raid on his home on the same day. Six days later, no information has been released regarding his fate.

Sina Ghazanfari, from Sirvan, was detained during a raid on his workplace and transferred to an unknown location on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Nine days later, no information has been made available about his fate.

Hamed Nazarian, 33, from Ilam, was detained during an armed raid on his home by government forces reportedly carrying Kalashnikov rifles, causing fear among his family members. The raid took place in the early hours of Saturday, January 10, 2026.

Mohsen Rousta, from the village of Sarab-e Kalan in Sirvan, was also detained earlier, on Friday, January 9, 2026. Twenty-one days later, no information has been released regarding his condition or location.

Sardasht, Bukan, Sanandaj, and Bijar:

Ramyar Tabarkhoun, from Sardasht, was detained by government forces at his workplace, a shop, and transferred to an unknown location. The detention occurred on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

Ebrahim Osmani, from Bukan and the administrator of the Telegram channel “Online Bukan,” was detained by IRGC Intelligence forces in Urmia and transferred to the agency’s detention facility on Monday, January 26, 2026.

Heybat Moeid, 41, a civil engineer residing on Ardalan Street in Sanandaj, was detained by security forces on Saturday, December 27, 2025, for reasons that remain unclear. Thirty-four days later, his fate remains unknown.

Mohammad Reza Nosrati, a 41-year-old Kurd from Bijar who resides in Karaj, was detained while visiting Bijar on Thursday, January 8, 2026. He works as an accountant at a private company and had previously been detained during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement on September 21, 2022.

Shirvan (North Khorasan Province):

Masoud Babaei, from Shirvan and the owner of a coffee shop, was detained in the city on Thursday, January 8, 2026. Reports indicate that he has been pressured to extract forced confessions.

Tehran and Shiraz:

Abdollah Sarbeigi, from Sirvan, was detained by government forces in Tehran and transferred to an unknown location on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

Arman Ardam (22), Ashkan Ardam (24), Arshad Ardam (34) from the village of Qezqapan, and Ramin Yousefi (25) from Hasanabad—all from Takab—were detained during a violent raid on their workplace, a cold-storage facility, in Shiraz, without the presentation of judicial warrants. The raid took place on the evening of Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

According to reports received, Arshad Ardam and Ramin Yousefi were later released after interrogation. The two others, Arman Ardam and Ashkan Ardam, who are cousins, remain in detention, and 16 days on, no information has been released regarding their fate.