Actress Sima Anbaei Farimani held in Mashhad prison, faces national security charges

Hengaw – Thursday, April 9, 2026

Iranian authorities have held theater actress and poet Sima Anbaei Farimani in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad for nearly four weeks without access to basic rights.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Anbaei Farimani, 34, from Fariman, remains in Ward 6 of the prison and has been denied phone calls and family visits since her arrest.

Authorities have accused her of links to Israel and other national security offenses, including “assembly and collusion against national security” and “insulting the former and current leaders of the Islamic Republic.”

The sources also said security agencies have described her as a “leader of protests” in Fariman and have opened a case against her with serious charges.

She was arrested on March 16, 2026, by Iranian police forces. Despite repeated inquiries by her family, judicial authorities and prison officials have not provided clear information about her case or allowed her access to a lawyer.