According to a report received by Avatoday, Omar Ahmad, known as “Reswoka,” a 43-year-old journalist from the Iraqi Kurdistan-based media outlet “Ava Media,” and his accompanying filming team were arrested on 6 December 2025 during the second day of the “Beit & Heyran” festival in the city of Sardasht, in Iran’s Kurdistan region, by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence forces, and transferred to a detention center in Urmia.
According to a reliable source, the media team had traveled to cities in Iran’s Kurdistan region to prepare a report on the Kurdish dance festival “Halparki” in Mahabad and to cover the cultural festival “Beit & Heyran.”
Their arrest took place during the festival ceremony without the presentation of any judicial warrant. Omar Ahmad is originally from Pshdar, a district of Qaladze in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and as of the time of this report, there is no information available about the condition or whereabouts of him and his team members.
Arrest of a Kurdish Photographer and Videographer
In a separate case, Omid Badi, a photographer and videographer from Bukan, was arrested at his workplace on 4 December 2025 by agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and transferred to an unknown location.
According to Avatoday, security forces entered his shop without presenting a judicial warrant and, after arresting him, confiscated a large portion of his work equipment, including drones and video recording gear.
His family, who live in the Majboorabad neighborhood of Bukan and include his wife and one child, have so far received no information about his place of detention or current condition despite repeated follow-ups.
As of the time of publication of this report, no official information has been released regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges brought against this Kurdish citizen.
