At least nine Kurds arrested in Abdanan during memorial ceremony for slain protester Alireza Seydi

Hengaw – Wednesday, February 18, 2026

At least nine Kurds were arrested by Iranian government forces in Abdanan and Sarableh, Ilam Province, amid a continuing wave of arbitrary detentions, coinciding with a memorial ceremony marking the 40th day since the killing of protester Alireza Seydi.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, government forces carried out the arrests on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, detaining nine residents of Abdanan identified as Saeed Naderi, 35; Hossein Behnameh, 27, a resident of Hezarani Township; Abolfazl Darbandi, 20, also from Hezarani Township; Behzad Akbari, 35; Saeed Yari; Mohammadamin Nazari; Yousef Khattavi, 34; Adib Nazari; and Armin Piraei.

Sources report that the arrests took place simultaneously with the fortieth-day memorial ceremony for Alireza Seydi, a 16-year-old from Abdanan who was killed during the January protests. During the ceremony, government forces opened fire on attendees, injuring at least three people.

The arrests were carried out without warrants and involved the use of violence, according to informed sources.

No reliable information has been released regarding the charges against the detainees or their place and conditions of detention. Follow-up inquiries by their families have yielded no results.