Arrest of Three Civil Activists in Sanandaj Following International Women's Day Ceremony

Continuing the arrests of civil activists in Sanandaj, the forces of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence arrested three civil activists - Souma Mohammadi, Baran Saadi, and Leila Pashayi - without presenting a judicial order and transferred them to unknown locations. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, Souma Mohammadi, a civil activist, was arrested on Tuesday, March 20, at her workplace in the Almas Shopping Center in Sanandaj by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that her arrest is believed to be related to her participation in the March 8 International Women's Day ceremony in Sanandaj. Ms. Mohammadi has been summoned and threatened multiple times by security agencies in recent years. Additionally, Baran Saadi, another civil activist and one of the detainees from the nationwide protests of 2022, was arrested early Tuesday at her family home by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. This civil activist had previously been arrested during the nationwide protests on September 20, 2022, and was released on bail after two months. Reports indicate that the whereabouts and condition of these two civil activists remain unknown. Furthermore, Sardar Pashayi, a political activist and former coach of Iran's national wrestling team, reported that the intelligence forces of Sanandaj stormed his sister Leila Pashayi's home, stating that government agents 'arrested her for the umpteenth time.' Mr. Pashayi wrote on the social media platform X that his sister has been accused of 'acting against national security' because she spoke out against mandatory hijab, child marriage, and the death penalty against imprisoned women on International Women's Day and protested alongside other women. Previously, the human rights organization Hengaw reported the holding of a special ceremony for International Women's Day in Sanandaj with the participation of several organizations active in the field of women's rights, noting that this event took place despite threats and pressure on civil activists by the security agencies of the Islamic Republic. According to this report, the special ceremony for International Women's Day, March 8, was held on Friday, March 18, by the Union of Kurdish Women, civil women activists, women's rights activists in Sanandaj, and several other groups and organizations. This human rights organization pointed out that the ceremony was held under conditions where the Sanandaj Intelligence Department summoned several active women in the field of women's rights on Thursday, March 17, and warned them against participating in the special March 8 ceremony. In this context, the Free Workers Union of Iran reported on Thursday that Tayeb Chatani, Lotfollah Ahmadi, Iqbal Shabani, Khabat Dehdar, and Jamal Asadi, labor activists in Sanandaj, were summoned by the Intelligence Department in recent days and banned from participating in the International Women's Day ceremony. According to this report, Sharif Saedpanah, a member of the board of directors of the Free Workers Union of Iran, was also summoned by phone by the Sanandaj Intelligence Department and questioned about his participation in the International Women's Day ceremony and the New Year celebration that is held annually in Sanandaj. The Free Workers Union of Iran wrote that Mr. Saedpanah was threatened that if he participated in the International Women's Day ceremony or any other event, he would face prosecution. The holding of the International Women's Day ceremony by a group of women and men opposing gender discrimination took place despite the government's security pressures.