“More than two weeks after the arrest of former political prisoner Saman Karimi - whose death sentence was previously overturned by Iran’s Supreme Court - and his wife, Farzaneh Rashidi, a university student, their whereabouts and condition remain unknown,” said the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization.
The Kurdish couple was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence in Baneh, Kurdistan province on May 25 without a warrant, according to the Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) and confirmed by Hengaw.
“A source close to the family told Hengaw that Karimi, 33, has not been allowed any contact with his family since his arrest. Rashidi, 26, a student at Payam Noor University in Baneh, was permitted only a single, brief phone call,” Hengaw said.
It is unknown if the couple has been formally charged with any crime.
Karimi was previously arrested by the intelligence branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2018 and was subjected to “physical and psychological torture aimed at forcing a confession,” KHRN said.
He was charged with “armed insurrection” through alleged membership in the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), KHRN added. On his conviction, he was sentenced to death.
The Supreme Court later overturned the death sentence on appeal, citing “multiple due process violations,” and returned the case to the lower court.
Karimi was released on bail in March 2021 but was re-sentenced in July that year to four years in prison for “acting against national security” in connection with alleged KDPI membership and an additional year for “propaganda against the state,” according to KHRN.
Iran considers exiled Kurdish opposition groups like the KDPI to be terrorist organizations. The groups also include Komala, the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) and the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK).
Iran ranks second globally for known executions, according to Amnesty International. In 2024, it put 909 prisoners to death, with Kurds making up 20 percent of the total, Hengaw reported in February.
Amnesty International has reported that the number of executions Tehran carries out has dramatically risen in recent years and accused Iran of using the death penalty to suppress minority groups like Baluchis and Kurds.
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