Mohammad Fariq Shari’atpanah, a Kurdish religious activist from Bukan, has been imprisoned by Iranian Intelligence for nearly three months with no contact from his family since late July, causing grave concern about his well-being. Initially arrested on May 15, 2024, Shari’atpanah was held in one of the Intelligence Department’s detention centers in Urmia before being transferred to Urmia Central Prison.
Sources from the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights report that Shari’atpanah’s family has been denied communication with him for the past 20 days while he is held in solitary confinement. They also mentioned that Iranian Intelligence has threatened the family for attempting to publicize information about his arrest.
This case highlights the ongoing persecution of Kurdish religious activists in Iran, as Shari’atpanah’s two brothers have also been targeted and detained in the past for their religious beliefs.
