Cartoon by Assad Binakhahi

Iran Detains 65 Kurdish Citizens

IranWire: At least 65 Kurdish citizens, including activists, environmentalists, and former political prisoners, have been arrested by the Islamic Republic's Intelligence Ministry agents across western provinces over the past month.

The arrests, conducted between December and January, spanned multiple cities, including Sanandaj, Mahabad, Oshnavieh, Saqqez, Bukan, and Piranshahr.

Reports indicate that many of the detentions were carried out by plainclothes agents without judicial warrants and involved physical violence.

38 Baluch Citizens Arrested in Pre-Dawn Raids in Iran

At least 38 people were arrested in pre-dawn raids on Tuesday in southeastern Zahedan as security forces carried out widespread operations in the area.

The arrests took place in the Zebarabad neighborhood of the Nosratabad district, according to Haalvash, a human rights news agency that monitors rights violations in Iran's Sistan and Baluchistan region.

Eight detainees have been identified, all of whom are married residents of the area.

Witnesses report that security forces used aggressive tactics during the raids, damaging residents' personal property and instilling fear throughout the community.

The location where the detainees are being held remains unknown, and authorities have not provided any information regarding the reasons for the arrests or potential charges.

21 Arab Community Members Detained in Iran, Whereabouts Unknown

The Islamic Republic’s security forces have arrested 21 members of Iran’s Arab community in recent days, human rights organizations have reported.

Twelve people were detained in Ahvaz’s Malashiya and Shalengabad neighborhoods on Wednesday.

The Karun Human Rights Organization reported that three brothers - Khaled, Ali, and Mohammad Amouri - were also arrested in Ramshir by intelligence forces.

Sources indicate that the arrests were conducted during home raids without warrants, and the detainees were taken to unknown locations.

Earlier in the week, two Sunni Arabs from Ahvaz’s Malashiya neighborhood, Younes Gharbavi and Reza Zohairi, were detained, reportedly in connection with their religious activities.

On January 5, authorities arrested Hashem Mousavi, 56, a former political prisoner from Ahvaz’s Sheiban area, who previously served a four-year sentence from 2009 to 2013.

Three other Arab activists - Saeed Ismail, Ahlam Bandar, and Milad Bahri - were also recently detained, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.

The whereabouts and conditions of all detainees remain unknown to their families.