December Protests – At least fifteen more arrested across eleven cities in recent days
Hengaw – Wednesday, January 7, 2026
As the wave of recent arrests continues, at least fifteen individuals, including two women, have been detained by Iranian government forces across eleven cities: Amlash in Gilan Province, Khorramabad, Birjand in South Khorasan, Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Sanandaj (Sine), Sarableh, Ilam, Harsin, and Kermanshah (Kermashan). All detainees have been transferred to undisclosed locations.
According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Zahra Heydari, from Amlash in Gilan Province, and Mohammadreza Dolatyari, a Kurdish resident of Harsin in Kermanshah Province, were arrested on Monday, January 5, 2026.
Further arrests were reported on Tuesday, January 6, including Khabat Dehdari, a Kurdish political activist from Sanandaj; Faramarz Ghasemi-Azar, originally from the village of Avihang near Sanandaj and currently residing in Karaj; Younes Abbaspour, a 19-year-old from Mashhad; and Seyed Javad Mousavi, a former political prisoner from Birjand.
Earlier, Zahra Nasiri, a Lor woman from Khorramabad in Lorestan Province, was arrested on Friday, January 2, 2026, during protests by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). She was taken from her home and transferred to Khorramabad Prison.
Additional arrests were carried out in Tehran over several days. Mohsen Shahbazi (37) was arrested in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on Thursday, January 1. Amir Mokhtari, a 23-year-old worker, was detained near Istanbul Square on Saturday, January 3, while Abolfazl Salahshour (25) was arrested on Republic Street. On the same day, Heydar Nemati, from Gohardasht in Karaj, was also taken into custody.
Separately, Mohammad-Hossein Moradi, a 40-year-old Kurdish man from Asmanabad in Sarableh, Ilam Province, was arrested on Saturday, January 3.
No official information has been released regarding the reasons for the arrests, charges, or the whereabouts and condition of those detained.
