At Least 13 Kurdish Students and Civil Activists Arrested Simultaneously in Several Iranian Cities
Human rights sources reported on Sunday, December 21, the simultaneous arrest of at least 13 students and civil activists in several Iranian cities during Friday and Saturday.
Some human rights sources have reported the number of detainees to be higher, stating that security forces arrested these individuals in the cities of Karaj, Mahabad, Rapt, Marivan, and Bukan and transferred them to unknown locations.
Farzad Samani, Sohayb Badrouj, Shapul Khuzari, Daria Talebani, Salar Rahavi, Sirouan Nouri, Afshin Mam Ahmadi, Bahman Yousefzadeh, Farhad Mousapour, Fridoon Mousapour, Dana Samadi, Azima Naseri, and Caravan Minawi are among the detainees whose names have been publicized so far.
According to Hrana, the news agency of human rights activists, among the detainees, Farzad Samani from Mahabad and Sohayb Badrouj from Marivan were arrested on Saturday, December 20, by forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization at the Kharazmi student dormitory in Karaj.
This comes at a time when, according to law, entry of any military or security forces to the university and its dormitory facilities is prohibited.
Five other detainees were civil activists from the city of Marivan, and three others were Kurdish civil activists residing in Rapt city in West Azerbaijan Province.
According to Hrana’s announcement, Farzad Samani had previously been arrested and convicted in the Revolutionary Court, but despite the families’ follow-up, no information has been obtained regarding the location of detention and the charges against these individuals.
The Islamic Student Association of Sharif University of Technology issued a statement on Sunday, December 21, on the occasion of the anniversary of the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane by a missile fired by the Revolutionary Guard Corps, referring to the pressure of government security institutions on university activists and students, stating: “The boots of various security institutions and the blade of tyranny have targeted our arteries and closed the path to our breathing.”
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly promised in recent years to eliminate the “security atmosphere” in universities, but reports from student organizations indicate the continuation of the security atmosphere and threats against critics and opponents in universities.
Based on information from the Atlas Organization of Iranian Prisons, which collects data on Iranian prisoners, at least 176 Iranian Kurdish citizens are currently serving time in prison on political and ideological charges.
Source: Radio Farda
