Hengaw: The Status of Farzad Javid, Environmental Activist, Remains Unclear After 11 Days of Detention

The human rights organization Hengaw reported on Friday, August 25, that Farzad Javid, an environmental activist and a member of the Chia Green Association in Marivan, has been detained by the Ministry of Intelligence since Tuesday, August 14, and his status remains unknown. According to 'informed sources,' Mr. Javid has been deprived of personal visits, access to a lawyer, and contact with his family during his 11 days of detention. There is still no information available regarding the charges against this environmental activist or his place of detention. The detention and lack of news about Farzad Javid comes at a time when, according to the Chia Green Association, over two thousand hectares of forests around Marivan have recently fallen victim to the largest wildfire in the history of this county. Additionally, a Marivani environmental activist stated in an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that 'the public belief in the region is that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is responsible for this wildfire.' On Thursday, August 24, a group of environmental activists and various members of the Marivan community gathered at the 'Dasiran' cemetery in Marivan to commemorate four environmental activists named Sharif Bajour, Omid Kohneh-Poushi, Mohammad Pazhouhi, and Rahmat Hakimi-Nia. These four individuals lost their lives on September 25, 2018, while trying to extinguish fires around the villages of 'Pileh' and 'Selsi' in the outskirts of Marivan. Environmental activists in the Kurdish regions of Iran have designated September 25 as 'Environmental Martyrs Day' to honor the activities of these four individuals, holding ceremonies annually in their memory. A member of parliament stated that the Caspian Sea has receded by about 100 to 120 meters in some areas. The death of wetlands in Iran continues; the 'Hoshilan' wetland is on the verge of complete desiccation. Flames have engulfed the forests of Paveh; the fire has rekindled beneath the ashes. The drying of Lake Urmia has turned into an environmental disaster and a health crisis, putting 6 to 15 million people at risk. The drying of water resources under the pretext of job creation and self-sufficiency has led to groundwater extraction reaching 47 billion cubic meters per year.