Two environmental activists and a family member detained in Tehran

Hengaw – Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Iranian security forces have detained environmental activists Hooman Jokar and Sepideh Kashani, a married couple and former political prisoners, along with Sima Kashani, Sepideh Kashani’s sister, in Tehran amid a renewed crackdown on civil society and environmental activists across Iran.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the forces raided the couple’s home in Tehran on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and arrested Jokar and Sepideh Kashani. During the raid, the forces confiscated all of their electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops.

Attorney Hojjat Kermani confirmed the arrests in remarks to Iranian media, stating that authorities also detained Sima Kashani.

Authorities have not disclosed the agency responsible for the arrests, the reasons for the detentions, or any charges against the three individuals.

Jokar and Kashani, former managers of the Asiatic Cheetah Conservation Project, were previously arrested by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC Intelligence) in February 2018 as part of the widely known “environmental activists” case. After serving more than six years in Evin Prison, they were released in April 2024 upon completing their sentences.