October 9, 2026 — Yesterday, seven Kurdish citizens from Saqqez—all members of two independent mountaineering groups, "Halo" and "Chiai Sawz"—were violently arrested following raids by dozens of armed security forces and transferred to an undisclosed location. The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Hakimpour, Mostafa Qaderi, Mohammad Saleh Hosseini, Hossein Abdollahi, Khaled Rahimi, Abdollah Amini, and Rahim Haqparast. While Rahim Haqparast and Abdollah Amini were released after a day in custody, the fate and whereabouts of the remaining five citizens remain unknown. They are systematically deprived of access to legal representation, family visits, and telephone contact.

An informed source confirmed the report to Kurdpa, stating: "On the morning of Thursday, October 8, 2026, amid a wave of arbitrary arrests in Saqqez, over 30 armed agents from the Ministry of Intelligence raided the homes of seven Kurdish citizens between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM. Security forces thoroughly searched their residences, severely beat and insulted both the mountaineers and their family members, and subsequently arrested and transferred them to an unknown location."

According to the source, Rahim Haqparast was released on Thursday evening after a day in detention, and Abdollah Amini was released on Friday morning, October 9, following 24 hours of arbitrary detention and interrogation. However, there is no news regarding the condition or whereabouts of the other five detainees.

The source emphasized that all detainees were subjected to severe beatings and verbal abuse at the Saqqez Intelligence Office detention facility during the initial hours of their arrest.

As of the publication of this report, the official pretexts for these arrests remain unknown, and security authorities have offered no explanation regarding the case. Furthermore, the five citizens who remain in custody continue to be denied legal counsel, family visits, and telephone access.


About "Chiai Sawz" and "Halo" Mountaineering Clubs

The "Chiai Sawz" (Green Mountain) and "Halo" (Eagle) mountaineering clubs are independent civil, athletic, and environmental groups based in Saqqez. Beyond organizing regular climbs across the mountain ranges of Kurdistan, these organizations actively engage in environmental initiatives, including nature cleanups, tree planting, promoting sports, and honoring veteran mountaineers—such as their joint ascent to "Taleswar" peak in the Khorkhoreh region on October 2, 2026, which featured a speech by veteran mountaineer "Pira Halo."

Due to their civic engagement and independent nature, members of these groups have repeatedly faced security pressure and harassment. Previous arbitrary arrests and home raids targeting "Halo" members include As'ad Siddiqi (July 2020) and Siddiq Youssefpour (January 2026).