Four Kurdish detainees held without charges in separate cities across Iran
Hengaw – Friday, February 20, 2026
Iranian authorities have arrested at least four Kurdish men in Sarpol-e Zahab, Mahabad, Tehran, and Sabzevar amid a wave of detentions linked to recent protests. According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, they remain in custody without formal charges and without clarity regarding their legal status.
Behzad Rahmani, 40, a dental technician from Sarpol-e Zahab in Kermanshah Province, was arrested after IRGC Intelligence Organization forces raided his home on Monday, February 16, 2026, and transferred him to an undisclosed location. Reports indicate that a large number of armed forces took part in the operation and deployed a drone. Agents searched the house and confiscated personal items, including his mobile phone and laptop.
Kaveh Afshari, from Mahabad, was arrested during a raid by Intelligence Office agents at his workplace on Monday, February 11, 2026. Sources said officers used violence during the arrest before taking him to an undisclosed location.
Mohammad Sanginabadi, originally from the village of Sanginabad near Qorveh and currently living in Tehran, remains in detention after being arrested during protests held on January 7 and 8, 2026, in the capital. Although heavy bail has been set, security institutions have prevented his temporary release.
Mohammad Kalmishi, a 24-year-old Kurdish man from Sabzevar, was arrested during protests in the city on January 8, 2026. More than a month after his arrest, he remains held in Sabzevar Prison in legal limbo, and no information has been made available about his condition.
Sources said the detainees have been denied access to a lawyer and deprived of their most basic rights in detention. Authorities have not disclosed the charges against them, the precise detention locations of some of the men, or further details about their cases.
