ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s intelligence service has summoned dozens of people and instructed them not to wear traditional Kurdish clothing during Newroz celebrations later this month, a watchdog said on Friday.
”Between Tuesday, March 5, 2025, and Thursday, more than 60 young people from Marivan were summoned by the city's Intelligence Department,” said Hengaw Human Rights organization.
They “were warned to refrain from participating in any special Newroz ceremonies while wearing jamaneh and khaki clothing,” Hengaw added.
Jamaneh and khaki are traditional Kurdish outfits that have often been worn by opposition groups and are considered symbols of resistance. Many people will share photographs of themselves wearing traditional attire on social media as an act of dissent.
The Intelligence Department has also exerted pressure on managers of venues and banquet halls, warning them not to allow guests to wear traditional clothing, according to Hengaw.
This is not the first time authorities have tried to stamp out the practice.
In January, 58 Kurds from Mahabad, Bukan, and Piranshahr, including family members of victims of the Women, Life, Freedom protest movement, were summoned by Iran's judiciary after attending a wedding ceremony wearing traditional clothes.
“The prosecutor of Piranshahr accused these individuals of 'propaganda against the state' for celebrating, dancing, and symbolically expressing Kurdish identity at the wedding,” Hengaw stated in January.
Iran frequently detains Kurdish civilians during the month of March every year during celebrations of the new year, Newroz. It prohibits the use of Kurdish symbols and songs during the holiday and has banned traditional Kurdish folk dances known as halparke, performed by mixed groups of men and women.
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