Human rights organization Hengaw reported that ahead of the fourth anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini’s death, the presence of military and security forces in Kurdish cities has increased

The human rights organization Hengaw reported that, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini, the presence of military and security forces in Kurdish cities—especially Saqqez and Sanandaj—has increased.

Based on videos that have been released, military convoys moved on Tuesday, 24 Shahrivar, along the Diwandareh to Saqqez route, and security forces and riot units were also deployed to the city. Hengaw also reported the detention of at least 20 Kurdish youths in Oshnavieh.

The human rights organization Hana also reported that military vehicles equipped with DShK machine guns have been stationed in parts of Sanandaj and Marivan.

At the same time, Kurdish political parties in Iran, in a joint statement, called on the public to hold a general strike on Wednesday, 25 Shahrivar. Zeynab Jalalian, Vareşa Moradi, Sakeene Parvaneh, and Mataleb Ahmadian—four Kurdish political prisoners—also announced that they will go on a hunger strike in support of this call.

Messages received by Iran International from several other cities in Iran also indicate an increase in pressure to enforce mandatory hijab and the renewed presence of patrols (gasht-e ershad), hijab-bans and plainclothes forces in the streets.