A massive wildfire in the highlands of Mount Abidar in Sanandaj (Sine) resulted in severe injuries to several environmental and civil society activists. Hamid Moradi, a lawyer and the director of the environmental NGO “New Life Breeze” (Şiney Newjîn), was among them. He tragically lost his life due to extensive burn injuries. This heartbreaking incident highlights the Iranian authorities’ chronic negligence and lack of preparedness toward environmental crises and the safety of environmental defenders.
According to reports, the fire broke out on Thursday, July 24, amid extreme heat exceeding 40°C. A sudden change in wind direction trapped a group of activists in a ring of fire. Despite the brave efforts of local volunteers, the absence of proper safety and firefighting equipment turned the situation into a tragedy. Local sources report a complete lack of presence and support from government agencies at the scene.
In addition to Hamid Moradi, activists Mohsen Hosseini-Panahi, Khubat Amini, Chiako Yousefinejad, Aria Salimi, and Seyed Mostafa Hojbari sustained burns and remain hospitalized. Two of the injured persons are currently in intensive care.
This is not the first time that environmental activists in Rojhelat have perished in fires. Over the past several years, at least eight environmental defenders have lost their lives while attempting to contain wildfires in the Zagros forests. Yet, the government has done little to provide them with proper equipment, training, or preventive infrastructure.
While these volunteers tirelessly protect nature without pay or support, the government fails to assist them and often exerts pressure against independent environmental efforts.
What happened in Abidar was both foreseeable and preventable. If the Iranian state had fulfilled its legal and moral responsibilities by providing basic resources such as fire-resistant clothing and portable extinguishing tools, as well as training, Hamid Moradi would likely still be alive today. This negligence represents a structural failure and a deliberate abandonment of nature and its defenders.