Documentary filmmaker Sepideh Abtahi detained in Tehran

Hengaw – Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Sepideh Abtahi, a documentary filmmaker, film editor and former secretary of the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association, was detained by Iranian security forces following a raid on her family home in Tehran.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, security forces raided Abtahi’s family home on the morning of July 15, 2026, arrested her and confiscated her personal and professional electronic devices.

Sources close to Abtahi said she had repeatedly expressed public opposition to war and support for peace and security on social media in recent months, where she also engaged in critical discussions with supporters of military conflict.

Abtahi joined a campaign by Iranian artists during the Woman, Life, Freedom (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) movement and published a photograph of herself without the mandatory hijab in solidarity with protesters and to call for justice for those killed. Over the years, she has directed and edited several documentaries focusing on civil movements and the social challenges faced by women in Iran.

Despite repeated inquiries by her family, the identity of the arresting authority, the charges against her and her whereabouts remained unknown.