Arrest of Three Environmental Activists; Clashes Between IRGC and PJAK Set the Mountains of Sarvabad on Fire

Following clashes between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), which caused a fire in the protected mountains of Kowsalan, news sources reported the arrest of three citizens from Kamyaran who were attempting to extinguish the fire. According to reports on Tuesday, July 5, 'Yasere Saberi, Mohsen Dadgar, and Saeed Dadgar', identified as environmental activists, were arrested on Tuesday, June 20, while returning from the mountains and due to a 'prohibition of movement' imposed by the IRGC. The Kowsalan and Shahou protected area is located between the cities of Sarvabad, Marivan, and Kamyaran in Kurdistan province and shares a border with Iraqi Kurdistan. In the past two weeks, 'armed clashes' between the IRGC and PJAK have been ongoing in the Kowsalan heights, resulting in 'widespread fires' in the region. PJAK has been on the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions list since 2009, and the U.S. considers the IRGC a terrorist organization. The Kurdpa news agency reported that 'after stopping the vehicle of these three environmental activists, the IRGC forces informed them that movement to the Kowsalan mountains is prohibited and then arrested them without presenting a judicial order.' An informed source told the media that the detainees have been transferred to the 'Shahramfar Security Detention Center in Sanandaj.' Two of the detainees, Mohsen and Saeed Dadgar, are brothers. The 'Hengaw' website also accused the IRGC of deliberately starting the fire and stated that the IRGC is preventing 'the presence of the people' to control the fire. At the end of June, reports emerged about clashes in the area following intensified artillery and drone attacks by the IRGC on the Kowsalan mountains near Sarvabad. According to these reports, alongside the continued artillery attacks by the IRGC, many IRGC members were also stationed with artillery equipment at the Sarvabad checkpoint and the Zhivar village base. Zhila Mostajer, a board member of the human rights organization 'Hengaw', previously stated in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that based on 'documents' from this organization, a large volume of military weapons has been transferred to border areas adjacent to Iraqi Kurdistan, and at any moment, a 'full-scale war' could break out.