Two Kurds Shot by Security Forces During Nowruz Festivities in Iran

Iran Wire-March26th2024

Security forces in Western Iran’s Kermanshah shot and injured two young Kurdish men on Thursday during Nowruz celebrations at a local park, Radio Farda reported.

The families of the injured men, Mohammad Ahmadiani and Arman Basiri, were threatened and pressured by the Ministry of Intelligence to prevent them from reporting the incident to the press.

Both individuals are currently hospitalized under guard by security forces.

These reports come amidst news that government agencies in some western regions, including Kermanshah, restricted public celebrations of Nowruz.

On Monday, the Kermanshah Governorate mandated permits for any large gatherings or public celebrations related to Nowruz.

Further escalation occurred when Ali Shabani, the political deputy of the Kermanshah governor,

announced the summoning, arrest, and prosecution of an unspecified number of individuals identified as “organizers” and “evangelists” of Nowruz celebrations in the province.

Shabani accused “affiliated and foreign groups” of promoting public gatherings for Nowruz in certain areas.

He claimed these groups aimed to “encourage mixed-gender dance ceremonies” to “sow discord and division among the people, ethnicities, and religions.”