123 arrested in December 2024 by security forces of Islamic Republic of Iran

Hengaw: Friday, January 3, 2025

According to data compiled by the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Right, at least 123 individuals whose identities have been verified were arrested across Iran by security forces in December 2024. The majority of these arrests involved Kurds, accounting for 88 cases (71.5% of all documented arrests).

Among those arrested were 8 female activists, 6 children, 88 Kurds, 10 Balochs, 25 Sunni activists, and 2 Baha’i adherents were arrested or abducted by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past month. The highest number of arrests occurred in West Azerbaijan (Urmia) Province.

Geographical distribution of arrests:

The highest number of arrests, 58 cases, were recorded in West Azerbaijan (Urmia) Province. Additionally, 20 cases were reported in Kermanshah Province, while Kurdistan (Sanandaj) and Sistan-Baluchistan Provinces each recorded 10 cases.

    •    West Azerbaijan (Urmia): 59 cases (all Kurds)
    •    Kermanshah (Kirmaşan): 20 cases
    •    Kurdistan (Sanandaj) and Sistan-Baluchistan: 10 cases each
    •    Khuzestan: 7 cases (all Arabs)
    •    Tehran: 5 cases
    •    Razavi Khorasan: 4 cases (3 Persian and 1 Turk)
    •    Lorestan and East Azerbaijan: 2 cases each
    •    Mazandaran, Kerman, Ardabil, and Isfahan: 1 case each
    •    Italy (foreign national): 1 case

71.5% of those arrested were Kurds.

At least 88 Kurds were arrested by government authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran during December. This figure accounts for 71.5% of all individuals arrested across Iran in the past month.
Additionally, 10 Balochs, 4 Turks and 7 Arabs were arrested.

Arrests of religious minorities:

The arrests of individuals from religious and faith-based minorities continued in December 2024. The detainees include:
•⁠  ⁠25 Sunni activists (19 Kurds, 5 Arabs, and 1 individual from Khaf)
    •    2 Baha’i activists

Baha’i Activists:
    1.    Arshia Behin Aeen from Isfahan
    2.    Paridokht Shojaei Baghini from Kerman

Sunni Activists:

1-5. Reza Hezbavi, Mehdi Samiri, Nabi Samirat, Mehdi Samirat, and Ahmad Samirat from Khuzestan
6-16. Omid Salehi, Ayman Safaei, Komar Salehi, Hemin Palani, Erfan Moradi, Khalid Kamari, Payam Ranjbar, Kaveh Sohrabi, Dana Ahmadi, Pouya Deljou, and Yousef Ranjbar from Sarpol-e Zahab
17.⁠ ⁠Ebrahim Bakhoda from Khaf
18.⁠ ⁠Mohammad Mohammadi from Paveh
19-25. Yasin Ramazani, Yasin Mahmoudi, Omid Khaki, Soleiman Khaki, Mukhtar Babajani, and Keyhan Allahmoradi

Arrest of 8 women and 6 children in December 2024

At least 8 female activists were arrested by security forces over the past month. This accounts for 6.5% of all arrests in December. The names of these individuals are as follows:
    •    Sosan Hassanzadeh from Bukan
    •    Nasrin Shakermi and Shaida Shakermi from Khorramabad
    •    Parastoo Ahmadi from Nowshahr
    •    Nazanin Elyasi from Mahabad
    •    Cecilia Sala Sala from Italy
    •    Paridokht Shojaei from Kerman
    •    Farzaneh Mohammadi Parsa from Abadan

Additionally, at least 6 minors under the age of 18 were arrested by security forces. All of them are Kurds, and their names are as follows:
    1.    Omid Salehi, 17 years old, from Sarpol-e Zahab
    2.    Ramyar Mohammadzadeh, 18 years old, from Sardasht
    3.    Hemin Shahmohammadi, 17 years old, from Oshnavieh
    4.    Rezgar Moloudi, 17 years old, from Mahabad
    5.    Kamyar Izadi, 17 years old, from Mahabad
    6.    Mohammad Mahmoudi, 17 years old, from Javanrud

Arrest of teachers and students:

During December 2024, security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran continued their pressure on teachers and students, resulting in the arrest of at least two students and two teachers.

Arrested Teachers:
    1.    Hamid Azizi from Kamyaran
    2.    Omid Hamedi from Kamyaran

Arrested Students:
    1.    Danial Abbaszadeh from Mashhad
    2.    Abdolbaset Rigi from Mirjaveh

Arrest of media activists in December 2024:

Over the past month, at least two journalists were arrested by security forces in Tehran:
    •    Reza Khandan from Tehran
    •    Cecilia Sala, an Italian national

Arrest of Writers and Artists

In December 2024, at least three singers were arrested in the cities of Nowshahr and Tehran:
    •    Parastoo Ahmadi
    •    Ehsan Bairaqdar
    •    Sohail Faghih Nasiri

The identities of all these  123 cases have been recorded in the Statistics and Documents Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. The use of these statistics is permitted with proper source attribution.