Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN): Following the celebration of Newroz (Nowruz) in various cities and villages in Kurdistan, several Kurdish civilians were summoned and arrested by the Intelligent Office.

According to the information obtained by KHRN, the Newroz ceremony- which was supposed to be held in the city of Malekshahi in Ilam province- was cancelled without any reason due to the involvement of security institutions. Hossein Bagheri , also known as Jacan Baran who is a Kurdish poet and one of the organisers of the ceremony, was arrested on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 .

A reliable source in this regard told KHRN that “Jakan Baran has been held at the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre since his arrest, and he has been on hunger strike from the first day of Newroz in protest to his continued illegal detention. He has been unable to meet with his family so far”.

Meanwhile, three civilians from the village of Sardosh of Marivan, Arsalan Nikkhah, Arash Nozari, Adel Nikkhah, and Payam Shoghi (from Mirxaw village of Marivan) were arrested last week by security forces following the Newroz ceremony in these villages.

Reports from the city of Sanandaj also indicate that several of the organisers of the Newroz ceremony in the villages surrounding the city have been telephone summoned by the Intelligence Office and interrogated for several hours during the past several days.