Tag: IRGC Intelligence

Baha’i Citizen Armaghan Yazdani Arrested in Shiraz

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News, Religious Minorities
Armaghan Yazdani, HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Shiraz

HRANA – On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Armaghan Yazdani, a Baha’i citizen residing in Shiraz, was arrested by agents of the IRGC Intelligence Organization. Her family home was also raided, during which agents confiscated digital devices, religious materials, and identification documents belonging to family members.

A source close to the family told HRANA:
“Ms. Yazdani was arrested while she was out with her mother and sister making preparations for her upcoming wedding. Agents intercepted them, forced the family to return home, and carried out the arrest at the residence.”

The source added that the agents searched the home during the arrest, seizing several personal belongings including mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet, IDs, photographs, and religious books and pamphlets.

As of the time of this report, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for Yazdani’s arrest, her current whereabouts, or the charges she may be facing.

Armaghan Yazdani is the fiancée of Vahid Masoumi, who was previously arrested and later released on bail.

Mahsa Shafiee-Moghaddam Arrested in Yasuj

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Freedom of Expression, News
irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Mahsa Shafiee Moghaddam, Yasuj

HRANA – On Thursday, July 17, Mahsa Shafiee Moghaddam, a resident of Yasuj, was arrested by IRGC Intelligence forces at her home and taken to an undisclosed location.

Based on information received by HRANA, Ms. Shafiee-Moghaddam was arrested at her home on Thursday, July 17, by IRGC Intelligence agents. The officers confiscated her mobile phone and electronic devices. Her Instagram account has also been deactivated. After her arrest, she made a brief phone call to her mother, during which she stated that she is on a hunger strike and does not know where she is being held.

A source close to the family told HRANA: “At the time of her arrest, the agents showed Ms. Shafiee-Moghaddam a warrant. She was reportedly arrested on charges of insulting military officials killed in the 12-day Israel conflict and collaborating with Persian-language media outlets outside Iran.”

Mahsa Shafiee-Moghaddam, 22 years old, has previously been arrested and faced legal action due to her activism.

Baha’i Citizen Soheil Haghdoost Arrested During Home Raid in Qaemshahr

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News, Religious Minorities
IRGC Intelligence, Qaemshahr, Raquel Ataeian, Soheil Haghdoost

HRANA – On July 3, security forces arrested Soheil Haghdoost, a Baha’i citizen living in Qaemshahr, at his home. Officers searched the residence and confiscated several personal items.

According to HRANA, eight agents from the Ministry of Intelligence and Public Security carried out the arrest, reportedly using force during the operation. A source close to Haghdoost’s family confirmed the incident and noted the seizure of personal belongings during the search.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, July 1, Haghdoost’s wife, Raquel Ataeian, was also arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents.

As of this report, the reasons behind the couple’s arrests, their current whereabouts, and the charges they face remain undisclosed.

Haghdoost has previously faced legal persecution due to his Baha’i faith.

Over the past decade, the Iranian Bahá’í community has been disproportionately targeted by Iran’s security forces and judiciary—more than any other minority group. In the past three years, an average of 72 percent of the reports on religious rights violations collected by HRANA have documented the Iranian regime’s repression of the Bahá’í community.

Raquel Ataeian, Baha’i Citizen, Arrested by Security Forces

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News, Religious Minorities
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Qaemshahr

HRANA News Agency – On Tuesday, July 1, Raquel Ataeian, a Baha’i citizen residing in Qaemshahr, was arrested at her home by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location. Agents also confiscated several personal items belonging to her and her family.

The arrest was carried out by seven IRGC Intelligence agents who presented a judicial warrant before detaining Ms. Ataeian and searching her home.

A source close to the family confirmed the incident, telling HRANA: “This morning, seven IRGC Intelligence agents arrived at Ms. Ataeian’s residence with a judicial warrant. During the search, they seized religious books, mobile phones, and laptops belonging to her and her family.”

As of the time of this report, no information has been released about the charges against Ms. Ataeian, the reasons for her arrest, or her whereabouts.

Raquel Ataeian has previously faced security-related harassment due to her Baha’i faith.

Over the past decade, the Iranian Bahá’í community has been disproportionately targeted by Iran’s security forces and judiciary—more than any other minority group. In the past three years, an average of 72 percent of the reports on religious rights violations collected by HRANA have documented the Iranian regime’s repression of the Bahá’í community.

Kourosh Jalil Sentenced to Over Two Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Kourosh Jalil

HRANA News Agency – Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Yasuj has sentenced Kourosh Jalil, a resident of Yasuj, to two years, one month, and one day in prison.

According to the verdict, the court imposed ten months for “propaganda against the regime” and one year, three months, and one day for “insulting the Supreme Leader and the founder of the Islamic Republic.”

Jalil announced the verdict in a public post, stating that the IRGC Intelligence Organization had filed the complaint that led to his prosecution.

Earlier, Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Boyer-Ahmad indicted him on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “spreading falsehoods.” His preliminary hearing, alongside two other citizens, took place on April 29, 2025.

The Ministry of Intelligence arrested Jalil in May 2024 and released him on bail two months later in July.

In a separate case, another court sentenced Jalil to three years in prison for “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic,” “unauthorized assembly,” “insulting Islamic sanctities,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and “propaganda against the regime.”

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Baha’i Citizen Arman Nikaein Arrested in Shiraz

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News, Religious Minorities
Arman Nikaein, Baha'i citizen, HRANA, IRGC Intelligence, Qeshm, Shiraz

HRANA News Agency – On Monday, June 23, Arman Nikaein, a Baha’i citizen, was arrested in Shiraz and taken to an undisclosed location.

A source close to Nikaein’s family told HRANA that around 10 IRGC intelligence agents raided the Momtazian family home in Shiraz on Monday night. During the operation, agents searched the property, confiscated electronic devices from those present, and arrested Nikaein—who is the family’s son-in-law—without presenting a court warrant.

The source added that Mr. Nikaein’s mother suffered a nervous breakdown during the raid and was transported to a hospital by ambulance due to the severity of her condition.

As of this report, the reasons for his arrest, the charges against him, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Arman Nikaein, who resides in Qeshm, is a Baha’i composer and music instructor.

Judicial Case Filed Against Women’s Wrestling Medalist Masoumeh Soleimani

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Khorramabad, Masoumeh Soleimani, معصومه سلیمانی

HRANA News Agency – A judicial case has been opened against Masoumeh Soleimani, a world medalist in women’s wrestling. She has been summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Khorramabad in connection with the case.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Soleimani announced in a video that she was recently summoned on charges of “encouraging women to defy mandatory hijab laws.”

In August 2023, she had been sentenced by the Khorramabad Criminal Court to one year of imprisonment on the charge of “inciting violent acts on social media.”

In a separate case, she was sentenced to six months of discretionary imprisonment and six months of suspended imprisonment. Following an appeal, the sentence was reduced to a fine of 50 million tomans and six months of suspended imprisonment.

Soleimani was previously arrested on May 10, 2023, by security forces in Khorramabad and released on bail for days later. She had been held in the IRGC Intelligence Detention Facility.

Masoumeh Soleimani, a mother and world medalist in women’s wrestling, has a history of arrest due to her activism.

Mehdi Tavakoli Zaniani Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison and Flogging Following Sentence Consolidation

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Mehdi Tavakoli Zaniani, Shahr-e Kord, مهدی توکلی زانیانی

HRANA News Agency – Mehdi Tavakoli Zaniani, a political prisoner held in Shahr-e Kord Prison, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and 74 lashes following the consolidation of his sentences.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the sentence was issued by Branch 1 of the Criminal Court One of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province.

A source close to Tavakoli’s family confirmed to HRANA that the verdict was issued on charges of insulting the Prophet of Islam (Sab al-Nabi), insulting the Supreme Leader, insulting sacred beliefs, and propaganda against the regime. He received:

5 years for insulting sacred beliefs
2 years for insulting the Supreme Leader
1 year for propaganda against the regime
74 lashes for insulting the Prophet

Previously, in two separate rulings—both later overturned by the case judge—Tavakoli had been sentenced by Revolutionary and Criminal Courts to 3 years and 10 months in prison and 29 lashes on the same charges.

Tavakoli was arrested on December 20, 2023, by IRGC Intelligence agents in Shahr-e Kord.

He is a specialist in painting and insulation for oil and gas projects.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Kazem Safabakhsh and Saman Bidar Arrested in Qazvin

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Ethnic Minorities, News
Azerbaijani Turk activists, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Kazem Safabakhsh, Saman Bidar, Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency –On Friday, May 2, Azerbaijani-Turk activists Kazem Safabakhsh and Saman Bidar were arrested in Qazvin and transferred to the city’s prison.

A source close to the families confirmed the arrests and told HRANA, “The two were detained by IRGC Intelligence agents in connection with their support for the Tractor football team during a recent match. Following their arrest, both Safabakhsh and Bidar were transferred to Qazvin Prison.”

Saman Bidar had previously been released on bail from Tabriz Prison on March 13, 2025, after being arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents on March 1 of the same year.

Both activists have a history of prior arrests and convictions related to their activism.

In 2024, HRANA reported the arrest of 262 ethnic activists. Although the specific charges and reasons for these arrests remain unclear in many cases, given the security agencies’ longstanding pattern of conduct, it is believed that most were detained due to their advocacy for ethnic rights. At least 109 of these arrests were carried out without a warrant.

Younes Azadbar Arrested by Security Forces

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Rasht, Rasht County, Younes Azadbar, یونس آزادبر

HRANA News Agency – Younes Azadbar, a resident of Rasht County, was arrested today by IRGC Intelligence agents and transferred to their facility for interrogation.

A source close to Azadbar’s family confirmed the news to HRANA and said: “Mr. Azadbar was arrested a few minutes ago at his home by IRGC Intelligence agents without a court warrant and was taken for questioning. At the same time, his home was searched, and personal belongings, including his mobile phone, were confiscated.”

The source added: “Mr. Azadbar is 62 years old, suffers from epilepsy, and has a mechanical heart valve and a cardiac pacemaker. His physical condition is highly concerning, and his family is worried about the impact of interrogation pressure on his health.”

He was initially arrested on July 19, 2023 and then released on bail in December 2023 to receive medical treatment.

During his previous detention, he appeared before Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office, where he defended himself against charges including “enmity against God (moharebeh),” propaganda against the regime, and “membership in anti-government groups.”

Younes Azadbar, 62, is a resident of Sangar, a town in Rasht County. He has a prior conviction related to his activism.