Human Rights Organization Report on Sharp Increase in Arrests in Iran

In the latest report by the human rights organization "Hengaw", a total of 125 arrests were recorded in February 2025, marking a 12.5% increase compared to the same period last year, when 111 individuals were reported arrested. These arrests include political and civil activists, teachers, students, journalists, artists, and religious and ethnic minorities. Among those arrested are 10 women, 4 children, and 2 foreign citizens. The highest number of arrests occurred in Sistan and Baluchestan province with 26 cases reported. Following that, West Azerbaijan had 23 cases, and Kurdistan had 19 cases. In Tehran, 18 individuals were arrested, 15 in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and a total of 10 in Kermanshah, Gilan, and East Azerbaijan. Additionally, 2 individuals were arrested in each of the provinces of Alborz, Markazi, Razavi Khorasan, and Kerman, while one person was arrested in each of the provinces of Isfahan, Fars, Hamadan, Mazandaran, Khuzestan, and Hormozgan. Among the detainees, 2 British citizens were arrested in Kerman. According to Hengaw statistics, "46 Kurdish citizens accounted for 37% of all detainees, 27 Baluch citizens made up 21.5%, and 15 Lor citizens constituted 12% of those arrested in February. Furthermore, 4 Baha'i activists, 3 Christian activists, and 2 Sunni activists were detained during this period. In this month, 10 women were arrested in various cities, representing 8% of all detainees. Their names include: Saeedeh Montazeri, Minou Roozbeh-dar, Golara Abbasi, Hiva Seyfizadeh, Hamideh Zarei, Nazila Khani-Pour, Atefeh Tahernia, Somayeh Rajabi, Fariba Misaqhi, and Lindsey Foreman, who is a British citizen. Some of this group have since been released. Additionally, 4 children under 18 years old, including 3 Lor children and one Baluch child, were arrested. The names of these teenagers are: Khalid Kashani, 17 years old from Zahedan, and Amir Hossein Jafari, 17 years old, Kamran Bozari, 16 years old, and Abolfazl Qasemi, 16 years old, from Dehdasht. Moreover, 4 students and one teacher are among the detainees. Abolfazl Khoran, a teacher from Arak, and students from Mahabad, Mashhad, and Tehran University are among those arrested this month. Hengaw reported that at least 2 journalists, one photographer, and 3 artists were arrested this month. Mehdi Nasiri from Mashhad and Mehdi Mahmoudian from Tehran were the two journalists arrested. Mehdi Nasiri was released shortly after his arrest. Additionally, Salar Saeedmocheshi, a photographer from Sanandaj, and artists such as Khosrow Azarbig from Azarshahr, Arash Sayadi from Shiraz, and Hiva Seyfizadeh from Tehran are among the detainees. This human rights organization noted that all 125 cases of arrest were recorded in the organization's statistics and documentation center, and this data only includes cases where their full identities have been verified. Hengaw emphasized that this report indicates the ongoing security pressures on various groups in Iranian society and severe restrictions on civil liberties. The increase in arbitrary arrests in Iran continues, and human rights reports indicate a worsening crackdown on civil activists, ethnic and religious minorities, students, and journalists. Campaign "No to Executions on Tuesdays": The world must act to stop the killing machine. Letter from 17 human rights organizations: The lives of Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi are in danger. Report from the Iran Human Rights Organization on "four cases" of public execution.