# Kurdish detentions and activism in Iran

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/kurdish-detentions-and-activism-in-iran
> Updated: 2026-09-13T05:55:00.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

In Iranian Kurdistan, security agencies have conducted a wave of detentions targeting various sectors of society, including activists, artists, and family members of political dissidents. Reports from Kurdpaw indicate that at least 62 Kurdish citizens were detained across 15 cities between July and August 2026, often through raids on homes or workplaces without legal evidence.

By mid-September, reports highlighted specific cases of incommunicado detention, such as Bahman Modirzadeh, a member of the Kotol City Council, who was held without access to legal counsel or family following social media activity. Concurrently, the Kurdish Women’s Coordination (Kezheke) marked the fourth anniversary of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, calling for resistance against systemic violence and emphasizing the necessity of democratic reform in the region.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-13: Iran and Iraq: Detentions and border reopening

Reports highlight the 41-day incommunicado detention of Kurdish official Bahman Modirzadeh in Iran, the reopening of Iraqi-Iranian border crossings, and Kurdish women's calls for systemic reform.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/iran-and-iraq-detentions-and-border-reopening

### 2026-08-28: Iranian Kurdistan: 62 Kurdish citizens detained in one month

Kurdpaw reports that at least 62 Kurdish citizens in Iranian Kurdistan were detained by security forces in the past month across 15 cities, including women and minors.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/iranian-security-forces-arrest-62-kurdish-citizens-in-month-long-crackdown

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Cite as: Kurdish detentions and activism in Iran. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/kurdish-detentions-and-activism-in-iran