Wave of Arrests of Citizens in Kurdish Regions Ahead of the Second Anniversary of Mahsa Amini's Death

As the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death approaches, several citizens from the Kurdish regions of western Iran and members of the families of victims have been arrested by the Islamic Republic's agents in recent days. Initial reports indicate that at least 12 citizens have been detained. According to human rights sources, four individuals from Piranshahr and its surrounding villages, named Vahid Aboubakri, Ali Hosseinpour, Soleiman Choupani, and Sa'doun Sharifi, were arrested in the past two days. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization has reported that government agents used violence, 'beatings,' and 'intimidation' to arrest them. Additionally, eight Kurdish citizens from various areas of Mahabad and Oshnavieh, including two members of the families of victims, have been detained since the beginning of this week. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network and Hengaw have mentioned the names of the detainees as Ramyar Aboubakri and Siavash Soltani, members of the families of victims in Mahabad, Omid Ahmadnejad, Adel Kakeh, Diako Azizi, Luqman Zangi, Siamand Zangi, and Arslan Sohrabi, a former political prisoner. There has been no news published regarding the reasons for the arrests or the location of these individuals. Following the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini in the custody of the morality police on September 16, 2022, unprecedented widespread protests against the Islamic Republic emerged in Iran, and despite the violent suppression of protesters by government agents, street protests continued for months. Since then, opposition to mandatory hijab has persisted in the form of civil disobedience and optional dress. More than 20 independent Iranian women's organizations issued a statement on September 6, marking the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in morality police custody and the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, stating that 'the struggles have entered a new phase.' The statement emphasized that 'ongoing struggles against the death penalty, against mandatory hijab, against national and class oppression, the continuous and impactful struggles of the victims' families, and the resilience of students' movements' have transformed the face of cities with the continued 'no' to the regime and gender discrimination and, in general, the collective struggle for a better life. Narges Mohammadi's message to the Nobel Peace Conference: The ability of women to resist in Iran is inspiring; we are not afraid of execution. More than 20 independent Iranian women's organizations: The 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement has entered a new phase. The arrest of a Kurdish political activist with disabilities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and his extradition to Iran. A statement from 77 members of the families of victims: Immediately release imprisoned victims' families and initiate cases for our deceased loved ones.