At Least 8 Environmental Activists from Gilan-e Gharb Arrested

The human rights organization "Hangaw" reported that at least eight environmental activists from Gilan-e Gharb, in Kermanshah province, were arrested by the intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to Hangaw, Mohammad Parvin, Maria Khani, Jahangir Azadi, Lotfollah Parviz, Hamidreza Rahimian, Salman Parhan, Ali Faraj Khani, and Mostafa Rostami were violently arrested early on Tuesday, August 23. No information has been released regarding the charges or the whereabouts of those arrested. The detainees are activists of the "Save Zagros" campaign and have played an active role in combating recent wildfires in the region's forests. Forest areas in Iran experience extensive wildfires every year, especially in the summer season. These fires are typically controlled with the help of volunteers and environmental activists, and the inefficiency of government agencies in effectively dealing with natural resource fires has consistently faced criticism from civil activists. Environmental and civil activists in Iran have been targeted with security charges and arrested multiple times in recent years. Recently, five women activists from Gilan, who were active in media and environmental fields, were sentenced by the Islamic Republic's judiciary to a total of over 20 years and seven months in prison. Hangaw reported on the sentencing of five women activists from Gilan to a total of over 20 years in prison. Security actions followed the burial of an environmental activist; at least 10 civil activists were arrested in Kamyaran. Youssef Farhadi-Babadi, a civil activist, was sentenced to one year in prison and a monetary fine. A three-year prison sentence was issued for Azad Amini, a civil activist from Saqqez.