Fate and whereabouts of civil activist Leila Jafarlo remain unknown after arrest in Zanjan

Hengaw – Thursday, May 7, 2026

Twelve days after the arrest of Leila Jafarlo, a 35-year-old Turkish civil activist from Zanjan, no clear information has been made available regarding the reasons for her detention or her whereabouts.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Jafarlo was arrested on Friday, April 25, 2026, by Iranian government forces in the city of Zanjan and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Repeated efforts by her family to obtain information regarding her condition and any new charges against her have remained unsuccessful.

Leila Jafarlo had previously been arrested in February 2023 during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. After spending 40 days in solitary confinement, she was released on bail set at 500 million tomans.

In that previous case, Iranian judicial authorities sentenced her to three years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “disclosing confidential documents.” The sentence was suspended for five years.