October 2, 2026 — Nearly seven months have passed since the arbitrary arrest of Sheikh Zahed Shahabi—a former political prisoner, Sufi figure, and justice-seeker for the murder of his brother Sheikh Azad Shahabi. Held across solitary confinement, quarantine, Qorveh Prison, and Saqqez Central Prison, he remains in a precarious state of judicial limbo, denied access to chosen legal representation and temporary release on bail. Reports indicate he has been subjected to severe physical and psychological torture, resulting in drastic weight loss—raising grave concerns regarding his health and safety during his prolonged detention without trial.

An informed source told Kurdpa that Sheikh Zahed Shahabi, who has been arbitrarily detained for over 209 days without access to legal counsel, was permitted his first family visit in nearly six months in recent days. The source reported his severe weight loss, confirming he was subjected to intense physical and psychological torture throughout his detention. Furthermore, IRGC Intelligence forces in Saqqez have explicitly blocked his chosen lawyer from entering the case and denied him temporary release. These combined pressures and his deteriorating physical condition have heightened alarm regarding his life and well-being.

In late September 2026, Kurdpa reported that Shahabi, following months of interrogation and confinement in solitary units, quarantine, and Qorveh Prison, was transferred to a ward in Saqqez Central Prison, where he remained held incommunicado without bail, legal representation, or family visitation.

On March 8, 2026, Shahabi was violently arrested by security forces in Saqqez without a judicial warrant. In the initial days following his arrest, he was transferred to Qorveh and held for months in security detention centers. He was denied all contact with his family until the recent visitation permission.

As of the publication of this report, the official grounds for his arrest remain unknown, with security authorities offering no explanation.

Previous Arbitrary Detention

On March 25, 2025, at 5:00 AM, Ministry of Intelligence agents raided the "Rah-e Azadi" Khanaqah in Saqqez without a judicial warrant, violently arresting Sheikh Zahed Shahabi and transferring him to the Saqqez Intelligence Detention Center. During the raid, agents subjected his family to verbal abuse and confiscated his mobile phone and personal belongings. This arrest was part of a broader crackdown on Kurdish Nowruz celebrations after Shahabi delivered an address on March 14, 2025, at the Mount Jaqel Nowruz gathering, emphasizing unity, freedom, and honoring fallen protesters while joining the crowd in chanting "Woman, Life, Freedom."

On April 4, 2025, he was transferred to a security detention center in Sanandaj, where his detention order was extended for an additional month on April 24, during which he was denied legal counsel and family visits. After 66 days of arbitrary detention, he was temporarily released on bail from Saqqez Prison on May 28, 2025.

The Mount Jaqel Nowruz Event

On Friday, March 14, 2025, during the Nowruz gathering at Mount Jaqel, Sheikh Zahed Shahabi lit the Nowruz fire and addressed the crowd, renewing a pledge to fallen victims while calling for unity and freedom alongside chants of "Woman, Life, Freedom." Government forces attempted to intimidate attendees by deploying vehicles mounted with DShK heavy machine guns and flying surveillance drones overhead. Despite the military presence, the event proceeded with mass public participation, traditional dances, and the wearing of Jamaneh scarves.

Lack of Accountability for the Killing of Sheikh Azad Shahabi

On August 27, 2024, Kurdpa published a detailed report examining the circumstances surrounding the killing of Sheikh Azad Shahabi and two companions. Relatives cited delayed medical intervention, heavy security force presence, the confiscation of the Khanaqah’s surveillance camera hard drives, and ambiguities regarding the individual claimed by the state to be the perpetrator. Based on these factors, relatives characterized the killing as an extrajudicial execution or state-sponsored assassination, noting that security pressure against Sheikh Azad had persisted for years. His family emphasized that they sought accountability not merely for the gunman, but for those who ordered and orchestrated the killing, refusing to accept official narratives outside a transparent judicial process. Following the killings, authorities failed to provide the family with clear updates regarding the investigation or the alleged perpetrator. Rejecting retaliatory actions, the family reiterated their intent to pursue long-term legal and international human rights avenues to hold the Islamic Republic accountable.

Sheikh Zahed Shahabi’s Public Call for Justice

In August 2024, nearly two months after the killing of his brother, Zahed Shahabi released a video statement declaring that due to the state's lack of transparency and refusal to deliver justice, the family would take their advocacy to the public, human rights organizations, and international bodies. Reaffirming that Sheikh Azad was assassinated, Zahed stated he would no longer remain silent, calling the official classification of the event as a routine homicide an infringement on the family's rights and an insult to civil society. Shortly thereafter, following weeks of silence from authorities, the family received a summons from Branch 3 of the Interrogation Unit of the Saqqez General and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office, requiring them to file a formal complaint for Qisas (retribution-in-kind) and Diyah (blood money)—an action taken while the family continued to demand an independent investigation into the masterminds behind the crime.

Security Force Raid on the "Rah-e Azadi" Khanaqah

On October 15, 2024, Kurdpa published video documentation showing that on the evening of October 14, security forces raided the "Rah-e Azadi" Khanaqah in Saqqez without a warrant following the engraving of the word "Shahid" (Martyr) and a Kurdish poem on Sheikh Azad Shahabi’s tombstone. Security personnel assaulted several family members, including women, as well as dervishes present at the sanctuary, and seized the Khanaqah’s security camera hard drives while establishing checkpoints on access roads leading to the facility.