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.
