Kurdish teacher Alan Hekmatirad transferred to Naqadeh prison after arrest in Mahabad

Hengaw – Friday, May 1, 2026

Alan Hekmatirad, a Kurdish resident of Mahabad and an English language teacher who was arrested by Iranian authorities in April, has been transferred to Naqadeh Prison.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Hekmatirad was arrested on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, by government forces on a street in Mahabad without the presentation of a warrant.

Sources told Hengaw that after his arrest, government forces took him to his family home, searched the residence and confiscated personal belongings, including his laptop, hard drives and books belonging to him and his family.

After a period of detention in a security facility in Urmia, Hekmatirad was recently transferred to Naqadeh Central Prison.

More than 20 days after his arrest, he remains deprived of family visits and access to a lawyer of his choosing.

Iranian judicial and security authorities had not provided clear information regarding the charges against him or the reasons for his arrest.