According to information received by the Hana Human Rights Organization, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Yadollah Mataei, a karate coach and native of Dehgolan County, was arrested by security forces and transferred to an undisclosed location.
According to the information received, security forces arrested the sports coach on one of the streets of Dehgolan without presenting any judicial warrant.
Yadollah Mataei had previously been arrested in connection with the nationwide protests following the state killing of Jina Mahsa Amini. He was arrested on September 19, 2022, and temporarily released on bail several weeks later. He was subsequently sentenced to five years of suspended imprisonment. In May 2024, Mataei was also summoned by security authorities.
In August 2026, the security office of the Kurdistan Province Department of Sports and Youth prevented him from continuing his sports and coaching activities. Following his summons to the department’s security office, Mataei was verbally prohibited from continuing to work as a coach or operating a sports club.
Yadollah Mataei began practicing karate in 1995 and has worked as both an athlete and coach in the sport for the past three decades.
As of the publication of this report, no further information is available regarding Yadollah Mataei’s place of detention, the status of his case, or the charges brought against him. He has also been denied contact and visits with his family and access to a lawyer since his arrest.