Kurdistan Region of Iran (Rojhelat)
February 2026 was marked by Kurdish political unity in Rojhelat, alongside continued arrests, pressure on detainees, and security force intervention at memorial gatherings linked to the protest wave.
During the month, Kurdish opposition parties announced the formation of a new alliance, describing it as a coordinated political front. At the same time, human rights organizations and local Kurdish outlets documented arrests across multiple cities in Rojhelat as well as the use of force during memorial ceremonies tied to January’s fatalities.
Kurdish Parties Prepare for the Fall of the Regime
A show of unity among Iranian Kurdistan’s Kurdish opposition parties hardened into a formal alliance on February 22, 2026, when five major movements announced what they called the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, a unified front intended to reshape Kurdish strategy against the Islamic Republic and to consolidate what they describe as a historic political moment in Rojhelat.
The coalition brings together the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI, also commonly known as KDPI), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Kurdistan Organization of Khabat (Khabat), and the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (Komala). The announcement and full text of the agreement were published by the parties, including on the PDKI’s official platform.
The statement opens with a blunt political assessment: the Islamic Republic has, in their words, lost legitimacy among the Iranian public, yet remains in power because opposition forces have remained fragmented. That fragmentation, the parties argue, has prevented a coherent national alternative from taking shape. The new coalition is presented as the corrective. Unity, they say, is no longer optional but necessary.
The document lays out three principal objectives. First, the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Second, the Kurdish people’s right to self-determination. Third, the establishment of what they describe as a national and democratic entity in Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhelat) based on the political will of the Kurdish nation.
The coalition also places strong emphasis on cooperation beyond Kurdish ranks. It declares readiness to coordinate with other “nations of Iran” and with democratic forces opposed to the current regime, provided that any future framework formally recognizes national rights, democracy, and a break with authoritarian governance. The statement repeatedly invokes the idea of a transitional period, suggesting the parties are looking beyond protest mobilization toward structured post-regime planning.
The five parties formally committed to coordinating political and organizational efforts under a shared framework, described as one of the most comprehensive attempts at unity in recent years among Rojhelat-based parties.
The coalition’s governance vision inside Rojhelat calls for free elections, protection of political and civil rights, equality between women and men, environmental stewardship, and guarantees for the rights of all national and religious communities living in the region. At the same time, it reiterates a commitment to building a democratic and secular political system in Iran as a whole.
A notable feature of the statement is its appeal to Kurdish society directly. The parties describe the coalition not merely as an agreement among organizations but as an invitation to the broader Kurdish public, urging citizens, civil organizations, and activists to join what they present as a collective national project.
For decades, Iranian Kurdish politics has included multiple parties with differing political programs and strategies, including armed activity and civil political engagement. The new coalition brings several of these parties together under one framework, though some parties are yet to join, including the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan led by Abdullah Mohtadi.
In reaction, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Iranian dictator, has drawn sharp Kurdish criticism after reacting against the newly formed Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan by accusing unnamed “separatist groups” of making “baseless and contemptible claims” against Iran’s unity and warning that territorial integrity is a red line. Kurdish parties answered that his language sounded less like democratic opposition politics and more like a return to the same security-driven threats long used against Kurdistan. In a blistering statement, the coalition said Pahlavi had again targeted Kurds with “insulting” rhetoric, revived the smear of separatism, and even threatened military repression against the Kurdish rights movement, arguing that such remarks expose a mindset still rooted in coercion rather than recognition of Kurdish national and democratic rights.
In his own response, Abdullah Mohtadi pushed back by stressing that Kurdish forces are “completely united” in the struggle against the Islamic Republic and that participation in “this or that coalition” does not change that “fundamental solidarity.” He also warned that Pahlavi’s rhetoric only “divides and destroys” solidarity among Iran’s peoples by spreading hostility and repeating the regime’s old accusations. Taken together, the Kurdish response cast the new united front not as a danger to a future Iran, but as a legitimate and long-overdue assertion that any real democratic alternative must respect Kurdistan’s voice, rights, and place in shaping what comes next.
Protests and memorial gatherings met with gunfire and arrests
Mid-month memorial ceremonies marking 40 days since deaths in the January crackdown became flashpoints in Ilam Province, especially in Abdanan. Reuters reported that security forces opened fire on mourners gathered at a cemetery in Abdanan, and cited Hengaw as saying at least three people were injured and nine arrested.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights repeatedly reported that arrests in Abdanan and nearby Sarableh coincided with a memorial ceremony for Alireza Seydi, described as a 16-year-old from Abdanan killed during the January protests. Hengaw said nine residents of Abdanan were detained on February 17, 2026, and reported that security forces opened fire on attendees, injuring at least three people; Hengaw said the arrests were warrantless and involved violence, and that families received no clarity on charges or detention sites.
Later in the month, Abdanan again appeared in reporting as a protest site after the arrest of a teacher. Hengaw reported that Yaqoub Mohammadi, a teacher in Abdanan, was arrested on February 21, 2026, and that protests followed; Hengaw said he was released on February 22. Reuters also reported demonstrations in Abdanan after the arrest of a teacher, describing chants against Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Arrest wave across Kurdish cities
Arrest reporting in February repeatedly centered across Rojhelat’s major cities, including Senna, Mahabad, Shino, Bukan, and Eslamabad-e Gharb (Shabad). Hengaw described a continuing wave of detentions spanning multiple locations. In a February 15 report, the organization listed arrests in six cities and said authorities often presented no warrants; some accounts described violence during raids and the beating of relatives.
In a separate February 12 report, Hengaw detailed arrests in Miandoab, Abdanan, and Bukan, including a case in which a detainee was taken during a nighttime home raid and reportedly subjected to severe violence and beatings. The report also stated that several arrests were carried out without warrants and were followed by uncertainty about the detainees’ whereabouts.
Ilam Province: prolonged uncertainty and incommunicado detention
Ilam Province reporting in February emphasized extended lack of information and families cut off from detainees.
Between January 8 and February 3, at least 13 Kurdish citizens in Ilam Province were reportedly arrested “violently” and without judicial warrants. Some were said to be held in undisclosed locations, with no official information provided to their families for periods ranging from days to weeks. Sources also described intense security pressure and heavy interrogation, raising concerns about attempts to obtain forced confessions.
On February 22, it was further reported that two individuals were detained in Abdanan and Darreh Shahr on February 17–18. Both were allegedly taken without warrants, and no information was available regarding their location or status. They were also reportedly denied access to legal counsel and contact with their families.
Additional reporting described multiple arrests across Ilam Province between February 1 and 22, including detentions in Asemanabad (involving two brothers), Ilam city, and Abdanan (in a case involving a teacher). Several of these cases were described as being followed by a lack of information about the detainees’ whereabouts or condition.
Targeting of women activists and children
Hengaw reported the arrest of Novin Zarei, identified as a Kurdish women’s rights activist from Senna, detained by Ministry of Intelligence agents on February 12, 2026, and taken to the city’s intelligence detention facility; Hengaw said no official information was published about charges.
At least nine arrests of minors across Iran, including four Kurdish children, with Kurdish cases listed in Asemanabad, Darreh Shahr, and Dehloran (all tied to Ilam Province). Hengaw said the children remained in a state of uncertainty.
Prison pressure, torture allegations, and hunger strikes
On February 2, 2026, 19-year-old Karo Manbari was reportedly violently detained in Senna by forces affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence. Security forces raided his family home, caused property damage during a search, confiscated mobile phones, and threatened family members. At the time of publication, no information was available regarding his location or condition.
In a separate case, prolonged uncertainty was reported regarding Ebrahim Rostami of Kamyaran. Following his detention, he briefly contacted his family and reportedly described severe pressure and torture at the Senna Intelligence detention center, as well as the start of a hunger strike. Communication was subsequently cut off, and he was reportedly denied access to a lawyer and family visitation.
In another case, Foad Fathi, a Kurdish labor activist and political prisoner from Senna, began a hunger strike on February 14, 2026, in Evin Prison. The action was described as a protest against what was characterized as targeted harassment of political prisoners, and his health was reported to have deteriorated.
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