The local media stated that his coverage of the December protests was the reason behind his arrest.

Along with Haghi, Javad Kheibar, another journalist who covered the December protests, was also detained. An informed source on the issue told the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Kurdistan that “the agents presented the arrest warrants for the two individuals and said they covered the protest in a maleficent and targeted way”. There is no update on the whereabouts or time of their release.