16-year-old Arab poet Mohammad Ascharavi held for over 20 days in Abadan; fate remains unknown

Hengaw – Monday, July 14, 2025 

Mohammad Ascharavi, a 16-year-old Arab poet from Abadan in Khuzestan province, has been arrested by Iranian security forces. Twenty days after his detention, there is still no information regarding his fate or whereabouts. 

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Ascharavi was arrested on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, during a raid on his family home in Abadan. Security forces carried out the arrest without presenting a court warrant. 

Sources close to the family reported that despite repeated inquiries, authorities have refused to provide any details about the reasons for his arrest, his whereabouts, or his legal status. 

Ascharavi is known for writing poetry centered on Arab identity, his mother tongue, and the struggles of Iran’s Arab community.