Ayoub Hamzeh and Arash Emamjomeh arrested in Piranshahr and Saqqez, whereabouts unknown

Hengaw – Friday, August 21, 2026

Two Kurdish men, Ayoub Hamzeh in Piranshahr and Arash Emamjomeh in Saqqez, have been arrested by agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and remain in detention with no information available about their whereabouts or legal status.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Hamzeh was arrested on August 16, 2026, when Intelligence Ministry agents raided his home without presenting a warrant. Hamzeh is married and the father of a young child. Six days after his arrest, his whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

Separately, Arash Emamjomeh was arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents in Saqqez on August 14. No information has since been made available regarding his condition, place of detention or the reason for his arrest.

Judicial and security authorities have provided no information regarding the reasons for the arrests or any charges against the two men. Both have been denied access to a lawyer, telephone calls and family visits.