Zrian Ali, a civil society activist and teacher in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, was arrested by security forces in civilian clothing on 25 June 2025 during a peaceful protest outside the Kurdistan National Stance Movement office. The protest aimed to demand the payment of overdue salaries and to oppose corruption and mismanagement. Ali’s detention forms part of a broader crackdown on activists, with further mass arrests on 26 June 2025 targeting civil society, political activists, journalists, and media teams ahead of a planned demonstration in Sulaymaniyah.