ROJHELAT — As April 2026 draws to a close, a disturbing and consistent pattern of state-sponsored repression has emerged across the Kurdistan Region of Iran (Rojhelat). Monitoring groups, including the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), Hengaw, Hana, and Kurdpa, have documented a surge in arbitrary arrests, secret detentions, and a lethal escalation in border enforcement and judicial sentencing.

A Wave of Arbitrary Arrests

The month was characterized by a relentless campaign of "incommunicado" detentions. Kurdish citizens from all walks of life have been targeted, often without warrants or formal charges.

Notable cases documented this month include:

• Bukan: The arrest of Maryam Davoudian (58), who reportedly has serious medical needs, as well as Yousef Karimi and Abubakr Qaderboukani.
• Saqqez: The detention of Sheyda Sheikhi and Sahar Mehdi.
• Abdanan: Healthcare worker Behrouz Hemmati was taken into custody on April 22.
• Piranshahr & Naqadeh: Several others, including the Maroufnia brothers and Masoud Abdollahzadeh, remain in state custody.

Families of detainees, including Zeynab Azizi and Sirwan Amini, continue to be denied information regarding the whereabouts or legal status of their loved ones.

Prison Protests and Judicial Pressure

Conditions inside the region’s prisons have reached a breaking point. On April 14, 49 political prisoners in the Ershad security ward of Orumiyeh Central Prison launched a hunger strike, returning their meals in protest of deteriorating food quality and quantity. Reports suggest that "wartime conditions" are being used as a pretext to squeeze detainees, forcing them to rely on overpriced prison shops while being cut off from family visits and legal counsel.

The judiciary continues to utilize the death penalty as a tool of political suppression.

• Mohsen Eslamkhah, a protester from Bukan, was sentenced to death this month on "enmity against God" (Moharebeh) charges.
• Human rights monitors have issued urgent warnings for several other prisoners, including Pakhshan Azizi and Yousef Ahmadi, who face imminent execution or renewed death sentences following trials described as "grossly unfair."

Tragically, executions are already being carried out in secret. On April 15, Mohammad Heydari and Abed Sharafi were executed in Kermanshah’s Dizelabad Prison without any public announcement from state media.

The Border Front: Kolbars Under Fire

The humanitarian crisis for Kolbars (cross-border porters) continues unabated. Hana Human Rights Organization reported multiple shootings by military forces, including the case of Sirwan Rasouli, who was severely wounded by gunfire at the Baneh border. Despite being impoverished workers driven by economic necessity, Kolbars continue to be treated as security targets by the state.

Militarization and Foreign Proxies

In a significant escalation, reports indicate that the Iranian government is mobilizing both conventional forces and regional proxies to tighten its grip on Kurdish cities.

• Proxy Presence: Sources report that Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi militias, along with Zeynabiyoun and Fatemiyoun forces, have been deployed to Kermanshah, Ravansar, and Marivan. These forces are reportedly being housed in civilian infrastructure, including mosques and sports halls.
• Heavy Weaponry: Tanks and armored vehicles have been spotted near border villages.

A recent investigation suggests this buildup is a pre-emptive strike by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Fearing that the Kurdistan region could become a front in wider regional conflicts, the IRGC has reportedly sent "busloads" of reinforcements to the area, utilizing hospitals and schools as makeshift bases to deter a potential Kurdish uprising.