463 arbitrary detentions by Iranian government forces in September 2023
According to statistics compiled by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, during th
Hengaw, Monday, October 2, 2023
According to statistics compiled by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, during the month of September 2023, at least 463 individuals were detained by Iranian government security forces across the country. This figure represents a 75% increase compared to the 264 individuals detained in the previous month of August.
Based on this report, a total of 203 Kurdish individuals—122 Baloch descendants, 51 women, 50 children, and 8 Baha'i adherents—were arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the month of September.
More than 70% of those detainees are Kurdish and of Baloch descent
According to Hengaw's statistics, during September, at least 203 Kurdish individuals were detained by Iranian government entities, comprising 44% of the total detentions across Iran during the past month.
During the same period, 122 Baloch individuals were also detained by government security forces, accounting for 26% of all detentions.
Furthermore, during the past month, 32 Lur and Bakhtiari individuals (7%) and 20 Turkish Azeris (4.3%) were detained by security forces.
Detained Religious Minority Activists;
Arbitrary detention of religious minority activists continued in September, similar to previous months, with at least 17 religious minority activists detained by government entities. Among those arrested, 8 were Baha'i adherents, including 4 women and 4 men. Additionally, during the past month, eight Sunni individuals from various cities in the provinces of Hormozgan, Fars, Sistan, and Baluchestan, as well as one Armenian descendant, were detained by Iranian government entities.
Detention of 51 females and 50 minors in September;
According to the statistics at the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at least 51 females were detained across Iran during the past month. This number accounts for 11% of all detentions.
It is worth noting that during the past month, at least 22 Kurdish females and 4 Baha'i female adherents were detained by government security forces.
Additionally, during the same period, 50 minors under the age of 18 were detained or forcibly disappeared by security and government entities across Iran.
Out of these underage minors, 37 (74%) were Baloch, 10 were Kurdish, and 2 were detained in the cities of Mashhad and Tehran.
Detention of teachers, students, and media activists;
During September 2023, based on Hengaw's statistics, at least 4 students in the cities of Saqez, Qorveh, Tehran, and Zanjan, as well as 8 teachers in the cities of Saqez (2 cases), Divandarreh, Qorveh, Kermanshah, Nowshahr, Bojnourd, and Yazd, were detained.
It is also important to note that during the past month, at least four journalists and media activists, as well as 14 artists and actors in various cities across Iran, were detained by government entities.
The identities of all these 463 individuals have been recorded in Hengaw’s database. The use of this data while citing the source is authorized.
