Claim by the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic: The detainees in Gilan intended to carry out 'subversive actions'

Reports indicate the continued detention of civil activists, particularly women's rights activists, in various regions of Iran. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Intelligence of Gilan stated that the detainees in the cities of this province were supposed to carry out subversive actions in Iran. The HRANA news agency reported that the number of detainees in Gilan province has increased to 11. Shiva Shahsiah, Vahideh Khushirad, Hooman Taheri, Sara Jahani, Zahra Dadres, Zohreh Dadres, Negin Rezaei, Matin Yazdani, Forough Sami'nia, Jalveh Javaheri, and Yasamin Hashtari were arrested by security forces on Wednesday, August 16, in the cities of Rasht, Lahijan, Bandar Anzali, and Fuman. Their place of detention remains unknown. In this context, according to Rouydad 24, the Ministry of Intelligence of Gilan announced that the detainees in the cities of this province had been trained abroad to carry out subversive actions in Iran. The security apparatus and the judiciary of the Islamic Republic have leveled similar accusations against political, trade, and civil activists for decades; accusations that have always been denied by these activists. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, referring to what it called a 'wave of arbitrary arrests of women's rights activists in Gilan,' wrote that this indicates that 'the chains of repression are tightening around the hands of freedom-seekers every minute.' The Human Rights Campaign in Iran emphasized that 'documenting each of these cases is essential to complete the process of the UN fact-finding committee to expose the countless human rights violations by the Islamic Republic.' In the meantime, the Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported that 'four young citizens from Mahabad,' named Shirko Nasiri, Hiwa Shabank, Ashkan Rasouli, and Hedayat Khasteh, as well as two citizens from Oshnavieh named Shirvan Khazari and Ayoub Mirzaei, have been arrested by security forces, bringing the number of detainees in these two cities in recent days to over 15. According to this report, 13 of the detainees 'have been transferred to the government’s security detention centers in Urmia.' Hengaw reported, citing informed sources, that 'government forces, without providing any judicial authorization, raided the homes of citizens in Mahabad and Oshnavieh, intimidating them, and arrested them, transferring them to unknown locations.' This human rights organization noted that there is 'no precise information regarding the charges against Shirko Nasiri, Hiwa Shabank, Ashkan Rasouli, Hedayat Khasteh, Shirvan Khazari, Ayoub Mirzaei, and other detained citizens, and their place and conditions of detention are unknown.' Additionally, social media reports indicate that Mahsa Basiratvana, sister of Mehran Basiratvana, one of the victims of protests in Mehran city on November 25, 2022, was arrested by security forces on Thursday, August 17. The Iranian Retirees Council wrote about the recent arrests: 'While the civil struggle of women in the streets against compulsory hijab continues, pressure on women's rights activists in Iran is increasing through summons, arrests, and heavy judicial sentences as the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death approaches.'