Arab activists Aref Naseri and Mehdi Naseri arrested by Iranian forces

Hengaw – Saturday, September 12, 2026

Iranian security forces have arrested two Arab cultural and civil activists, Aref Naseri and Mehdi Naseri, and transferred them to undisclosed locations. Their whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

According to a report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Aref Naseri, known as “Abu Nayef,” a poet and civil activist from Ahvaz, was arrested on Saturday, September 12, 2026, when Iranian security forces raided his home in the Saadi neighborhood of Shadegan. He was subsequently transferred to an undisclosed location.

During the arrest, the forces thoroughly searched Naseri’s home.

Separately, Mehdi Naseri, a poet and presenter residing in Ahvaz, was arrested by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence forces on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Naseri was arrested over the production and publication of the epic song “From Kazerun to Zeytun,” which had received official authorization from the Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance in Ahvaz. However, after its release on YouTube, the video was removed from the platform.

Hossein Ahwazi and Mehdi Zaeri, the two singers who performed the song, were also summoned and threatened by IRGC Intelligence.

The charges against Aref Naseri and Mehdi Naseri, their places of detention, and their current condition remain unknown. Their families’ efforts to obtain information about them have so far been unsuccessful.