State forces arrest Jalil Abbasi and Ebrahim Asemani Azaraoghlu in Zanjan and Tabriz

Hengaw – Friday, December 19, 2025

Iranian state forces have arrested Jalil Abbasi, a Turkish boxing coach and social activist, and Ebrahim Asemani Azaraoghlu, a Turkish civil activist, in the cities of Zanjan and Tabriz and transferred them to undisclosed locations.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, 61-year-old Azaraoghlu, a resident of Tabriz, was arrested on Monday, December 15, 2025. During the raid, security agents confiscated his mobile phone, several books, and other personal belongings.
Azaraoghlu has previously been repeatedly summoned, arrested, and subjected to judicial proceedings due to his civic activities.

Separately, Abbasi, a Turkish social activist from Zanjan, and boxing coach, was arrested at his workplace on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, in connection with the publication of a call for a protest gathering.

Following the publication of this call, which was scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, Abbasi has been charged with “insulting Ali Khamenei” and “assembly and collusion.”

Abbasi has been previously arrested for his activism and has faced heavy judicial sentences, including imprisonment.

No information has been made available regarding the current whereabouts or legal status of either detainee.