Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN): Two environmental activists and members of the Kurdistan branch of the Wahdat National Party in Sanandaj, Arman Vafaei and Shaho Faraji, were arrested by security forces on Monday, February 18.

A member of the above-mentioned party expressed concern over the summons and arrest of members of the Kurdistan branch of the National Unity Party while announcing that Shaho Faraji and Arman Vafaei had been arrested at the street in Sanandaj and in his own house in Sanandaj respectively.

Security agents simultaneously searched the houses of these detainees and seized a number of personal belongings and even mobile phones of family members.

These two environmental conservationists, Reza Asadi and Fazel Qeitasi, were also arrested by security forces on January 31, 2019 following the arrest of activists in Kamyaran and Sanandaj but they were released later on bail until their courts. In addition to these two recent arrests, other Kurdish activists including Hadi Kamangar, Farhad Mohammadi, Rashid Montazeri, Hossein Kamangar, Isa Feizi, Amanj Ghorbani, Sirwan Ghorbani, Zanyar Zamiran and Bakhtiar Kamangar are still held in solitary confinement at the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Sanandaj.

KHRN has already expressed concern over such widespread arrests. detainees being held in solitary confinement and tortured for TV confession & interviews.