On May 27, 2025, the Intelligence Organization ( Ettelaat) of the ocupying regime of Iran raided the residence of South Azerbaijani artist and civil rights activist Fatime Dadashzadeh. During the search of the house, security forces collected her personal belongings, mobile devices and paintings she had drawn on Turkish culture and took them to the institution. On the other hand, all of Fatime’s social media accounts have been suspended by the regime.
According to the information shared by activists on social media, the search was carried out with official permission. Dadashzade, who has been threatened and interrogated many times before, is expected to be summoned to testify in person soon.

During the Nevruz holiday last year, Fatime Dadashzade placed decorations emphasizing the South Azerbaijani Turkish identity and including the Turkish alphabet, tribal symbols and Nevruz symbols on the streets of Tabriz. These works of art were removed by security forces on charges of “threat to the integrity of the country” and “separatism”.
On the other hand, pressures continue on the Tractor football team, where cultural identity has gained visibility in another dimension. Following the end of the Iranian Super League, female fans celebrating the team’s success at the stadium were detained, threatened and faced legal proceedings on the grounds of “not complying with the rules of veiling”, “anti-security slogans” and “demanding rights”.
South Azerbaijani Lawyer Sina Yousefi has announced that some female fans were detained, while bail decisions were issued for others. However, it is still unknown how many female fans have been officially detained.
Ms. Dadashzadeh thinks that these developments as a systematic strategy to suppress the visibility of South Azerbaijani Turkish women in both cultural and public spheres.