Report on the Arrest of Four Citizens in West Azerbaijan Province

In recent days, four citizens named Khaled Mohammadian, Amin Bazian, Jamal Sheikhehpour, and Afshin Khalifehzadeh were arrested by security forces in Sardasht, Piranshahr, and Mahabad and transferred to undisclosed locations.

According to HRANA, quoting Kurdpa, early Sunday morning, December 29, Sheikhehpour and Khalifehzadeh were arrested in Mahabad. These individuals, residents of Qom Qaleh village in Mahabad county, were detained without judicial warrants and taken to unknown locations.

In a separate report, Kurdpa confirmed the arrest of a citizen in Sardasht identified as Khaled Mohammadian in Sardasht County. Security forces entered Mr. Mohammadian’s home early the previous morning, arrested him without presenting a warrant, and transferred him to an undisclosed location. During the arrest, they also searched his home.

On Friday, December 27, another citizen, identified as Amin Bazian, aged around 28, a resident of Piranshahr, was arrested and taken to an unknown location.

The arrest of this individual was also carried out without a judicial warrant by security forces.

So far, no information is available regarding the reasons for the arrests or the charges brought against these citizens.

Two Prisoners Executed in Mahabad Prison

At dawn on Wednesday, December 18, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted in separate cases of murder were carried out in Mahabad Prison.

Kurdpa has identified the prisoners as “Rahim Barin and Jamal Naboureh, residents of Mahabad.”

The report states that Mr. Barin was arrested in 2005 on charges of killing a government official and was later sentenced to death by the judiciary. Mr. Naboureh was arrested about two years ago on murder charges and subsequently sentenced to death by a criminal court.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or other relevant institutions.

According to latest HRANA’s annual report over between October 10, 2023, and October 8, 2024, at least 811 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, rising to 23.06% compared to the same period last year. Of these executions, four were carried out in public. Many of the defendants were denied a fair trial.

Two Residents of Mahabad Arrested by Security Forces

On December 17, Salar Shams Borhan and Abdollah Ghoveh, residents of Mahabad, were arrested by security forces and transferred to an undisclosed location, according to Kurdpa.

The arrests reportedly took place at their private residences without the presentation of judicial warrants.

These detentions come amid a wave of arrests in Mahabad, with several other residents also taken into custody in recent days.

As of now, no information has been released about the reasons for their arrests, their current whereabouts, or any charges filed against them.

Follow-up Report: Number of Detainees from Sunday in Mahabad Rises to 11

With the identification of four additional citizens named Othman Jahanifar, Ayoub Rasouli, Ribvar Rasouli, and Rahman Dana, the number of individuals arrested by security forces in Mahabad on Sunday, December 15, has increased to at least 11.

Other detainees from that day include Siamand Seyed-Ahmadi, Kamal Masoudi, Jalal Sadafi, Ghader Kharamanfar, Yousef Ghal, Aram Mabzooleh, and Zaniar Seyed-Ahmadi. Siamand Seyed-Ahmadi was released a few hours after his arrest.

The arrests were carried out by security forces without presenting judicial warrants and involved searches of the detainees’ homes. Following their detention, the individuals were transferred to a security detention facility in Urmia.

As of now, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for the arrests or the charges brought against these citizens.

Four Citizens Arrested by Security Forces in Mahabad

Yesterday, December 15, Siamand Seyed-Ahmadi, Kamal Masoudi, Jalal Sadafi, and Ghader Kharamanfar, residents of Mahabad, were arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

The identities of the detainees have been confirmed as Siamand Seyed-Ahmadi, Kamal Masoudi, Jalal Sadafi, and Ghader Kharamanfar.

It is also worth noting that earlier today, three other residents of Mahabad—Yousef Ghal, Aram Mabzooleh, and Zaniar Seyed-Ahmadi—were arrested as well.

As of now, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for the arrests, the detainees’ whereabouts, or the charges against them.

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Ayoub Damavandi Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison

Ayoub Damavandi, a resident of Piranshahr County, has been sentenced to five years and 15 days in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Mahabad, according to Kurdpa.

The report states that Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mahabad, presided over by Judge Doosti, recently sentenced Mr. Damavandi to five years and 15 days in prison on charges of espionage.

Mr. Damavandi was arrested at his home in Piranshahr on August 1, 2023, by security forces without a judicial warrant and transferred to one of the IRGC Intelligence detention facilities in Urmia.

Ayoub Damavandi, a resident of a village in Piranshahr County, was eventually transferred to Naghadeh Prison one month later after the completion of interrogation procedures.

Solmaz Hassanzadeh Sentenced to One Year in Prison

Solmaz Hassanzadeh, sister of Mohammad Hassanzadeh, who was killed by regime forces during the 2022 nationwide protests, has been sentenced to one year in prison by judicial authorities.

According to Kurdpa, the one-year sentence was issued by Branch 101 of Criminal Court Two in Bukan, presided over by Judge Mehdi Fakhri, on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

Though cases of this nature typically fall under the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Court, the lack of such a court in Bukan means security-related cases are first referred to the Revolutionary Court in Mahabad. Once a decision is reached, the case is returned to Bukan’s Criminal Court for sentencing.

On July 30, Solmaz and her father were arrested by security forces while attempting to hold a memorial ceremony for Mohammad’s birthday. The next day, her father, Ahmad Hassanzadeh, was released on a bail of four billion tomans, while Solmaz was released on August 13 after posting a bail of 500 million tomans.

Solmaz Hassanzadeh had previously been detained by security forces at a checkpoint between Bukan and Saqqez on September 27 of last year, and was subsequently released.

Mohammad Hassanzadeh, a 28-year-old Bukan resident, was fatally shot during the 2022 protests and passed away on November 16 of that year.

Taher Katani Arrested by Security Forces in Mahabad

On September 20, Taher Katani, a resident of Mahabad, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location, according to Kolbar News.

This report states that Katani’s arrest occurred on Friday, September 20, by security forces without the presentation of a judicial warrant.

So far, no information has been released regarding the reasons for his arrest, his whereabouts, or the charges against him.

Taher Katani, a native of Laj village, a suburb of Mahabad in West Azerbaijan province, has previously been arrested.

 

Siavash Soltani Arrested by Security Forces

On September 3, Siavash Soltani, the son of Kobra Shaykheh, who was one of the victims of the 2022 nationwide protests, was arrested by security forces in Mahabad and transferred to an undisclosed location, according to Kurdpa.

The report states that early this morning, security forces entered Mr. Soltani’s home without presenting a judicial warrant, arrested him, and transferred him to an undisclosed location. The arrest of this citizen was carried out with violence.

No information is available about the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him.

Kabri Shaykheh, a 59-year-old resident of Mahabad, was shot and killed by security forces on October 5, 2022, during gatherings held after the funeral of Esmaeil Moloudi, another victim of the 2022 nationwide protests.

Teenager Arrested by Security Forces in Mahabad

On September 3, security forces arrested 16-year-old Ramyar Abubakri, a resident of Mahabad, and transferred him to an undisclosed location, according to Kurdpa.

Ramyar is the brother of Zaniar Abubakri, who was killed by regime forces during the 2022 nationwide protests.

The arrest was reportedly carried out without a judicial warrant, using violence, and took place in the family’s home.

As of the time of this report, there is no information regarding the reasons for Ramyar’s arrest, his current location, or the charges against him.

It is worth noting that Zaniar Abubakri, a 22-year-old resident of Mahabad, was shot and killed in this city during the nationwide protests in November 2022.

Although precise statistics on child arrests are not available, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran reports that at least 130 individuals under the age of 18 have been detained by security forces. For a detailed analysis of these figures and more information on executions in Iran, please refer to HRANA’s annual report.