HRANA – Masoud Bakhtiari, a resident of Arak, was arrested by the Cyber Police (FATA) in the city and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, citing the Free Union of Iranian Workers, Mr. Bakhtiari—who was active in labor-related issues—was arrested in recent days by FATA officers without a judicial warrant. Following his arrest, he was transferred to an unknown location.

The reason for his arrest was reportedly the publication of posts criticizing the Friday Prayer Imam and local authorities in Arak, as well as raising labor issues and workers’ demands in a Telegram channel.

The report does not mention further details, including the exact time of arrest.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained about Mr. Bakhtiari’s whereabouts or the charges against him.

In 2024, a total of 2,783 Iranian citizens were arrested by security and judicial authorities due to their beliefs, opinions, or political and civil activities. Over the past decade, the number of such arrests has exceeded 56,000. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2022, during the nationwide protests, when HRANA documented 23,977 detentions.