Category: Freedom of Expression

Report on the Arrest of Batool Gerami and Several Others in Gonabad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Batool Gerami, Gonabad Prison, HRANA, Sajjad Samadi, بتول گرامی

HRANA – In recent days, Batool Gerami, the mother of Sajjad Samadi, one of those killed during the Dey protests, along with dozens of others, has been arrested for holding the last Thursday of the year memorial ceremony. Among those detained, Ms. Gerami, whose arrest was carried out with violence, has been transferred to Gonabad Prison.

According to Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, these individuals were detained for organizing a memorial ceremony at the gravesite of Sajjad Samadi on the last Thursday of the year. Security agents reportedly raided the ceremony, physically assaulted Ms. Gerami, and transferred her to a hospital. Despite her treatment not being completed, she was moved in recent days to Gonabad Prison with a broken shoulder.

The report does not specify the number of other detainees or the charges brought against them.

Sajjad Samadi, aged 23, was killed by live ammunition during the protests on January 9, 2026.

It is worth noting that protests and strikes by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants began on Sunday, December 28, 2025, in Tehran. Within two days, they spread beyond markets and commercial centers. With the participation of students, citizens, and various social groups, these demonstrations became among the most widespread protests in recent years. Following the crackdown by security forces, thousands were killed or injured, and tens of thousands were arrested or summoned by security institutions. For further information, you can refer to HRANA’s comprehensive report titled “Crimson Winter,” which documents the first fifty days following the onset of nationwide protests in Iran.

Graduate Student Arman Hajmohammadi Arrested in Yazd

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Arman Hajmohammadi, HRANA, Yazd, آرمان حاج محمدی

HRANA – Arman Hajmohammadi, a master’s student in civil engineering at Sharif University of Technology, has been arrested in recent days by security forces in Yazd. There is still no information about his whereabouts.

According to  Amir Kabir Newsletter, the student was detained in recent days at his residence in Yazd by security forces. Despite the passage of time, no information has yet been obtained regarding his place of detention.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained about the reasons for his arrest or the charges brought against him.

Arman Hajmohammadi is a master’s student in civil engineering at Sharif University of Technology.

It should be noted that military attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran began on February 28, 2026. Since the start of these attacks, HRANA has been documenting and recording related events across various parts of the country on a daily basis. For more information, you can refer to HRANA’s detailed report on the twenty-eighth day of these conflicts, which was published last night.

Dozens of Citizens Arrested in Connection with the War Across Several Provinces

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Freedom of Expression, News
Dezful, Golestan, HRANA, Ilam, irgc, Isfahan, Kerman, West Azerbaijan

HRANA – Domestic media have reported the arrest of more than 84 citizens in Hamedan, Dezful, Semnan, and the provinces of Golestan, West Azerbaijan, Kerman, Isfahan, and Ilam on charges such as “cooperating with foreign media and sending images of missile impact sites and the locations of military centers to these outlets.” A video has also been published showing the forced confession of one of these citizens, though the conditions under which it was recorded remain unclear.

According to Tasnim, several citizens were arrested in Semnan. The report claims that these individuals were in contact with accounts affiliated with the Israeli government and had gathered information and facilitated potential attacks on areas in Semnan Province before being identified and arrested. The provincial police commander of Semnan further alleged that one of the detainees confessed to having requested a missile strike on the city of Semnan in communications with an alleged Israeli agent.

Meanwhile, IRIB reported that 46 citizens were arrested in the provinces of Golestan, West Azerbaijan, Kerman, Isfahan, and Ilam. According to this report, the arrests were carried out by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on charges such as collecting images and sending them to Iran International.

The report also claimed that six of those arrested were members of opposition groups in the northwest of the country. Additionally, during these arrests, “a number of handguns and two Starlink devices” were discovered and confiscated.

In a separate report, Young Journalists Club announced the arrest of at least 36 citizens across three provinces. According to this report, 21 individuals were arrested in Kerman Province, 10 in Isfahan Province, and 5 others in Ilam Province by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence.

The report alleges that these individuals had sent information and images of certain locations to a foreign media outlet and opposition groups. It also stated that two Starlink devices were discovered and confiscated from them.

According to a report by Fars News Agency, one citizen was also arrested by security forces in Dezful. At the same time, a video of this individual’s forced confession was published, though it is unclear under what conditions it was recorded.

Mehr News Agency reported that the public relations office of the IRGC in Hamedan announced the arrest of an individual accused of recording and sending videos and images to foreign media outlets.

These reports did not provide information regarding the identities or places of detention of the arrested citizens.

It is worth noting that military attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran began on February 28, 2026. Since the start of these attacks, HRANA has been documenting and recording related events across different parts of the country on a daily basis. For further information, you can refer to HRANA’s detailed report on the twenty-seventh day of the conflict, published last night.

Report on the Arrest of 113 Citizens in Tehran and Kashan

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Freedom of Expression, News
Citizen arrested, irgc, Starlink

HRANA – The IRGC Intelligence Organization in Tehran announced the arrest of 103 citizens since the beginning of the war and stated that action has also been taken against 16 holders of Starlink devices and 400 sellers of cyber circumvention tools. Meanwhile, 10 citizens in Kashan were arrested by IRGC Intelligence forces for chanting slogans in support of parties involved in the war with Iran.

According to IRIB, the IRGC Intelligence Organization in Tehran reported the arrest of 103 citizens since the start of the war. The statement added that four individuals had intended to carry out “sabotage on Tehran’s electricity network infrastructure” but were identified and arrested. Five individuals affiliated with an opposition group, who allegedly “intended to make the streets unsafe,” were also detained by agents. Additionally, five citizens were arrested for “armed attacks on checkpoint patrols.” Another 90 citizens were detained for sending coordinates of sensitive locations and images of impact sites to foreign media outlets.

In another part of the statement, without specifying the nature of the measures taken, it was noted that action had also been taken against 16 holders of Starlink devices and 400 sellers of cyber circumvention tools.

Separately, Mehr News Agency, quoting the Prosecutor of Kashan, reported that early this morning, 10 individuals were arrested by IRGC Intelligence forces for chanting slogans in support of parties involved in the war with Iran.

The reports did not mention the identities of the detainees or their place of detention.

It is worth noting that military attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran began on February 28, 2026. Since the start of these attacks, HRANA has been documenting and recording related events across different parts of the country on a daily basis. For further information, you can refer to HRANA’s detailed report on the twenty-seventh day of the conflict, published last night.

At least 16 Citizens Arrested in Tehran and Anar County

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Freedom of Expression, News
Anar, irgc, Kerman, Tehran

HRANA – The Police Information Center of Kerman Province announced in a statement that 15 citizens were arrested in Anar County on charges of “criminal activities online and offline.” Meanwhile, a woman was arrested in Tehran for recording videos of explosion sounds and sending them to media outlets.

According to  ILNA, 15 citizens were arrested in Anar County. In its statement, the Police Information Center of Kerman Province cited “criminal activities in virtual and real spaces” as the reason for these arrests.

The statement further accused these individuals of “disturbing public opinion,” and legal cases have been opened against them.

The Student News Agency also reported the arrest of a woman in Tehran by the IRGC Intelligence Organization. The reason given for her arrest was recording videos of explosion sounds in Tehran and sending them to media outlets.

The reports did not mention the identities of the detainees, the time of their arrest, or their place of detention.

It is worth noting that military attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran began on February 28, 2026. Since the start of these attacks, HRANA has been documenting and recording related events across different parts of the country on a daily basis. For further information, you can refer to HRANA’s detailed report on the twenty-seventh day of the conflict, published last night.

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Over 15 Citizens Arrested by IRGC Intelligence Agents in Isfahan

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, irgc, Isfahan

HRANA – The IRGC Intelligence Organization in Isfahan has reported the arrest of more than 15 citizens in the province on charges described as “cooperating with foreign media and sending images of missile strike locations and the positions of military, relief, and checkpoint centers to these outlets.” Images of the forced confessions of three of these citizens have also been released, though the conditions under which they were recorded remain unclear.

According to Mehr News Agency, IRGC Intelligence in Isfahan has claimed that these individuals were cooperating with foreign media and sending images of locations targeted by missiles from countries involved in the war with Iran, as well as the positions of forces and military, rescue, and checkpoint sites.

At the same time, images of the forced confessions of three of these citizens have been published, though the circumstances of their recording are unknown.

The report does not provide further details, including the identities of the detainees or their place of detention.

It is worth noting that U.S. and Israeli military attacks on Iran began on February 28, 2026 . Since the start of these attacks, HRANA has been documenting and recording related developments across the country on a daily basis. For more information, readers can refer to HRANA’s detailed report on the 26th day of the conflict, published last night.

Six Citizens Arrested in Yazd for Using Starlink Equipment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Starlink, Yazd

HRANA – Domestic media have reported the arrest of six citizens in Yazd over what has been described as “using Starlink equipment and sending news to foreign media outlets.” Additionally, 61 bank accounts linked to these individuals have been frozen.

According to Mehr, Ahmad Negahban, the commander of the Law Enforcement Forces in Yazd Province, stated that these individuals were detained for “using Starlink equipment.”

He added that during inspections by law enforcement forces, six Starlink devices were discovered and confiscated from these citizens. Furthermore, 61 bank accounts belonging to them have been blocked.

According to Negahban, the arrested individuals were “sending news and information to foreign media and selling internet services.”

The report does not provide further details, including the identities of the detainees or their place of detention.

It is worth noting that U.S. and Israeli military attacks on Iran began on February 28, 2026 . Since the start of these attacks, HRANA has been documenting and recording related developments across the country on a daily basis. For more information, readers can refer to HRANA’s detailed report on the 26th day of the conflict, published last night.

Report on the Arrest of at Least 12 Citizens in Various Provinces

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Freedom of Expression, News
irgc, Kermanshah, Semnan, Urmia, West Azerbaijan

HRANA – Domestic media outlets have reported the arrest of at least 12 citizens in Kermanshah, Urmia, and Semnan Province on charges such as “espionage” and alleged connections with foreign-based media. Images of the forced confessions of two of these citizens have also been published, although the conditions under which they were recorded remain unclear.

According to Hamshahri, three citizens were arrested in Kermanshah. These individuals were detained by intelligence agents of the IRGC’s “Nabi Akram” unit on charges of membership in an alleged “espionage” network.

Meanwhile, Tasnim reported that two citizens were arrested in Urmia by intelligence agents of the IRGC in West Azerbaijan Province. In this report, a video was released accusing the individuals of “espionage,” alleging that they had “connections with Israel and sent information and images of certain locations to foreign media outlets.” At the same time, footage of their forced confessions was also published, though the circumstances of the recordings remain unknown.

According to ILNA, IRGC Intelligence Organization in Semnan Province announced the identification and arrest of seven citizens in the province. The report claims that the detainees “had links with foreign intelligence services and engaged in identifying military and sensitive locations, arson, and writing slogans.”

These reports do not provide further details such as the identities of the detainees, the exact time and location of their arrests, or their place of detention.

Since February 28, Iranian territory has been targeted by military attacks from Israel and the United States. For more information, readers can refer to HRANA’s report published last night on the 26th day since the beginning of these attacks.

It should also be noted that while combating espionage is not in itself considered a violation of human rights, given the Iranian government’s record of using such charges instrumentally against political opponents, such claims, especially in the absence of transparent details and due process, are consistently met with skepticism.

At Least 501 Citizens Arrested in Connection with the War

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hamadan, Kerman, Lorestan, Selseleh

HRANA – The Police Information Center announced the arrest of 466 citizens. In addition, one individual was arrested in Selseleh, 30 others in the provinces of Hamadan, Lorestan, and Kerman, and three citizens in Shahrud. A video report has also been released showing the arrest of one individual, which includes forced confessions, although the conditions under which it was recorded remain unclear.

According to Mehr News Agency, the police commander of Selseleh reported the arrest of a citizen in the county. According to Kamran Hasanvand, the individual was accused of “disturbing public opinion” and “propaganda against the state” and was transferred to prison after a judicial case was opened.

Meanwhile, according to Tasnim News Agency, the Police Information Center stated that 466 citizens had been arrested. In its statement, the institution claimed that these individuals were “disturbing public opinion, creating anxiety and insecurity in society, promoting propaganda in favor of the enemy, and disrupting national security on the Internet.”

According to Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, 30 citizens were arrested in the provinces of Hamadan, Lorestan, and Kerman. Ministry of Intelligence claimed that 24 of these individuals had sent the coordinates of military, law enforcement, and security locations, as well as the positions of security forces and military equipment in Hamadan Province, to “the enemy.” It was also alleged that four individuals in Lorestan were identified and arrested while “collecting information for enemy intelligence services.” In Kerman Province, two citizens were arrested by security forces for what was described as “attempting to move weapons.”

A video report by state media shows the arrest of a citizen who is accused of filming certain locations related to military attacks and sending them to sources outside the country. Footage of the individual’s forced confessions has been published, although the circumstances under which it was recorded remain unclear.

In another development, according to Young Journalists Club, three citizens accused of “spying on sensitive centers and communicating with foreign countries” were arrested in Shahrud. The police commander of Semnan Province claimed that “the accused confessed to the charges during initial interrogations, and their actions are under investigation within a judicial case.”

As of the time of this report, no information has been provided regarding the whereabouts of the detainees or the charges brought against them.

Since February 28, Iranian territory has been targeted by military attacks from Israel and the United States. For more information, you can refer to HRANA’s report on the 24th day following the start of these attacks, published last night.

Report on the Arrest of Four Citizens in Various Cities

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Freedom of Expression, News
Esmail Bavi in Khuzestan, Evin Prison, Mahdieh Mehrzad, Sima Chambari, Zahra Hojjat

HRANA – In recent weeks, Esmail Bavi in Khuzestan, Zahra Hojjat in Mashhad, and Sima Chambari in Neyshabur have been arrested by security forces. Meanwhile, Mahdieh Mehrzad was released from Evin Prison on March 18 after posting bail.

Based on information received by HRANA, Esmail Bavi, 20-year-old, was arrested approximately two weeks ago in early March 2026 by security forces at his family home along the Ahvaz–Abadan route. His family remains unaware of his place of detention, condition, or well-being, which has heightened their concerns.

Additionally, HRANA reports that Mahdieh (Khadijeh) Mehrzad was released from Evin Prison on March 18 after posting bail set at 6 billion tomans. A source close to her family confirmed that she had previously been sentenced by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to five years in prison on charges of assembly and collusion, and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” The harsher sentence of five years is enforceable. She had been detained in Evin Prison for the past three months.

In another development, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations reported the arrest of Zahra Hojjat in Mashhad. Ms. Hojjat has been active in education and in supporting girls with disabilities, including serving as a manager at the Hamdam Institute in Mashhad.

Furthermore, a report from the United Students Channel indicates that Sima Chambari, an undergraduate chemistry student admitted in 2024 at the University of Rasht and a resident of Neyshabur, was arrested by security forces at her home on March 12, 2026.

The reports do not provide information regarding the detainees’ whereabouts, reasons for arrest, or charges brought against them.

According to the annual report of the Human Rights Activists in Iran for 2025, at least 180 arrests were carried out without judicial warrants, and 22,062 individuals were detained in connection with freedom of thought and expression. The report also documented 689 cases of enforced disappearance or lack of information regarding detainees’ status, which constitutes a violation of detainees’ rights.