Seven arrested in Iran’s Kurdistan for ‘anti-regime propaganda’ during Newroz

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian authorities on Sunday said they arrested seven Kurdish individuals accused of participating in “anti-regime propaganda activities” under the guise of Newroz celebrations in Kurdistan Province, west of the country.

“Since early March and February 2025, the Kurdistan province judiciary has prioritized taking action against individuals and groups” who “sought to use the [Kurdish New Year, Newroz] occasion as a platform for anti-regime propaganda,” Mohammad Jabbari, the prosecutor of Kurdistan province told the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.

Newroz, which marks the first day of spring, is widely celebrated by Kurds in western Iran (Rojhelat).

However, Iranian authorities have frequently clamped down on Kurdish celebrations during Newroz, banning some Kurdish symbols and songs, and prohibiting certain types of Kurdish attire, namely the Jamaneh and Khaki.

The Jamaneh and khaki are traditional Kurdish outfits often worn by Kurdish groups that oppose the Iranian establishment. They are widely seen as symbols of resistance among Kurds, many of whom share images of themselves wearing them on social media as an act of dissent.

Iran additionally prohibits the Kurdish folk dance, known as Halparke, which is performed by mixed groups of men and women who dance holding hands, a custom not welcomed by Iran’s political and religious authorities.

Jabbari stated on Sunday that the judiciary is “officially addressing” the issue of those who are “breaking the norms and demonstrating insulting behavior.” He emphasized that serious measures were taken, leading to the identification of “a number of these [groups’] main leaders” and the arrest of “around seven individuals.”

According to Jabbari, the arrested individuals “had organizational and group affiliations” and that their actions were carried out with the “reinforcement, backing and direct overseeing of those groups.”

Last week, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deployed to Kurdish-majority regions and set up temporary checkpoints to interrogate people, according to the Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network.

Meanwhile, the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported on clashes between the Newroz celebrators and Iranian security forces in Kurdish-majority regions.

Many people have reportedly been threatened and barred from participating in Newroz celebrations over the past month, according to human rights watchdogs, with a number of them arrested.

Earlier this month, Hengaw reported that several Kurds in Bukan and Oshnavieh were summoned by intelligence agencies and warned against participating in Newroz events.

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