Prolonged Detention and Unlawful Confinement of Six Kurdish individuals from “Aq Darreh” in Takab
Ongoing detention and mistreatment of six Kurdish individuals from the village of “Aq Darreh” (Aghre) in Ta
Hengaw; Monday, August 28, 2023
Ongoing detention and mistreatment of six Kurdish individuals from the village of “Aq Darreh” (Aghre) in Takab, Iran. Khalil Aftabi, Ahmad Aftabi, Ismaeil Taimouri, Rebowar Barfar, Hamed Anousheh, and Yaqoub Eskandari, who were detained last month, continue to be held in a state security detention facility under inhumane conditions.
Based on information obtained by the Hengaw organization for Human Rights, indicating that, after 28 days in detention, the aforementioned Kurdish individuals from Takab are still incarcerated in government detention centers in Urmia.
Hengaw has received reports indicating that these individuals are being denied access to legal representation and are unable to meet with their families.
Previously, Hengaw reported on the arrest of Kurdish protestors from “Aq Darreh, where Reza Mozafar, the commander of Takab's law enforcement, labeled these protestors as "disruptors of public order and security." He cited their detention as a response to the "unlawful assembly." Additionally, Mehdi Taqizadeh, the public prosecutor of Takab, announced “the initiation of legal proceedings against the detainees has began”.
In the early hours of Monday the 31st of July, 2023, government forces conducted a raid on “Aq Darreh” village, detaining at least 50 residents and injuring three with direct gunfire. The incident resulted in significant damage to the homes and vehicles of the village residents.
The residents of “Aq Darreh” had been detained for protesting the lack of employment opportunities in the village's gold mine. Hengaw had previously identified 29 of these protesters.
On Tuesday, August 1st, 46 of the detained residents from “Aq Darreh” in Takab, were transferred to detention facilities operated by Iranian security institutions in Urmia.
