Iranian security forces detain relatives of Mojtaba and Meysam Veisi ahead of memorial ceremony

Hengaw – Thursday, July 9, 2026

Iranian security forces detained two relatives of Yarsan brothers Mojtaba and Meysam Veisi in Kermanshah ahead of a ceremony marking 40 days since their extrajudicial killings.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Foroud Veisi, 35, the brothers’ sibling, and their cousin Farhad Ghafourizadeh were detained on a street in Kermanshah late Wednesday, July 8, 2026, and taken to undisclosed locations.

The detentions came as the family and relatives were preparing to hold the 40-day memorial ceremony for Mojtaba and Meysam Veisi on Thursday.

Several hours after the arrests, the agency responsible for their detention, any charges against them and their whereabouts remained unknown.

Meysam and Mojtaba Veisi were civil activists and followers of the Yarsan religion who helped establish a library in Kermanshah’s Dareh Deraz neighborhood. They were killed on May 28, 2026, after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces surrounded and opened fire on a location where they had been staying in the village of Qaleh Kahoush in Dalahu.

The brothers had previously been detained several times over their civil, religious and sports activities. Both were wrestling champions. They had been living in hiding since the January 2026 protests because of security pressure and concerns for their safety.