Iranian authorities detain Kurdish writer Moslem Zarei in Kermanshah

Hengaw – Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Iranian authorities have detained Moslem Zarei, a Kurdish writer and cultural activist, in Kermanshah (Kermashan) and transferred him to an undisclosed location.

According to a report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Moslem Zarei, 45, an activist in the field of the Kurdish language, was arrested on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in front of his workplace in Kermanshah by Iranian authorities.

Sources told Hengaw that following his arrest, Iranian authorities raided his home, carried out a thorough search, and confiscated several personal belongings and digital devices.

Moslem Zarei is a well-known cultural figure in Kermanshah, active in writing and translating Kurdish works. His sister, Mahsa Zarei, a women’s rights activist, has been arrested several times by security institutions over the past year and is currently released on bail.

The reasons for his detention, the charges against him, and his place of detention remain unclear. Efforts by his family to obtain information have so far been unsuccessful.