At least 10 Kurdish activists and civilians, including two children, have been arrested in recent days in connection with Newroz celebrations in the cities of Marivan and Saqqez.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported that at least 10 Kurdish activists and civilians, including two children, have been arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence in recent days in connection with Newroz celebrations in the cities of Marivan and Saqqez in Kurdistan Province and taken to undisclosed locations.
On 21 March, former political prisoner Tahsin Dadras and his brother, Belal Dadras, were arrested by intelligence forces at their workplace in the village of Sardush in Marivan.
On the same day, three other civilians from the village of Ney in Marivan – Mohammad Nikpey, Aram Nikpey, and Mohammad Ashtak – were also arrested after being summoned to the office of the Ministry of Intelligence in Marivan.
On 22 March, intelligence agents arrested 77-year-old Seyfollah Khan Ghaffari in Saqqez.
On the same day, two Kurdish activists from Marivan – Chalak Pirouzi from the village of Sardush and Kaveh Dastan from the village of Ney – were also arrested.
At the same time, two children, Mohammad Ghaderi from Sardush and Keyhan Tadbiri from Ney, were arrested along with civilian Mohammad Nikpey after being summoned to the office of the Ministry of Intelligence in Marivan.
The Iranian authorities have not provided any information about the charges against the detainees or their current whereabouts.
