Arrest of Five Environmental Activists in Marivan Amid Ongoing Forest Fires in Kurdistan

As the forest fires in Marivan continue, human rights sources have reported the arrest of five environmental activists from Marivan in recent days. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization mentioned on Saturday, August 5, the names of the detainees as Azad Rouhi, Laiq Ahmadi, Sarkot Ebadi, Alan Ardishiri, and Delir Mohammadi. According to this report, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence violently arrested these five individuals on Wednesday and Thursday, August 2 and 3. So far, no information has been released regarding the charges against the detainees or their place of detention. Hengaw reports that two of these individuals, Azad Rouhi and Laiq Ahmadi, had previously been arrested by security agencies. Mansour Sohrabi, an ecology and environmental expert, stated that the Iranian government has made public efforts to extinguish the fires a security issue. On the other hand, the CEO of the 'Green Chia Association,' a civil organization in Marivan, described the extent and depth of the current forest fires in Marivan as unprecedented in the city's history. Some social media users also reported on Saturday, August 5, the third day of the fire, about the activities of the 'Green Chia Association' in organizing community efforts to control the fire in Kurdistan. Simultaneously, the Tasnim news agency reported that the forest fires in the border villages of Gamareh-Lang, Darvaran, and Asanabad in Kurdistan have continued, with over two hundred hectares of forest land having been burned so far. The damage caused by this fire remains unclear due to its ongoing nature. The forests of Kurdistan are always at risk of fire, and in late July of this year, the forests of Marivan in the Kolakeh Jan, Darsiran, Pileh, and Kani Miran areas also experienced fires. Reports by Ali Javanmardi on the death of four environmental activists in the forest fire and protests by the people of Marivan, extensive fires and mine explosions in the forests of Marivan, the arrest of three environmental activists; clashes between the IRGC and PJAK set the mountains of Sarvabad ablaze, protests in Marivan following the death of four environmental activists in the forest fire.