Hengaw report No. 3 on arrests amid the Iran-Israel war: At least 530 detained, including 30 women and two European nationals

Hengaw – Sunday, June 22, 2025
 
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has documented the arrest of at least 530 people across Iran in the first ten days following the outbreak of direct hostilities between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel. These arrests, carried out by Iranian security forces, form part of a widening crackdown under the pretext of national security.
 
According to the information gathered, the charges brought against detainees include “espionage for Israel,” “propaganda against the state,” and “spreading public anxiety.” Among those arrested are at least 30 women, two Afghan nationals, and two European citizens. On Sunday, June 22, 2025, political prisoner Majid Masibi was executed without a fair trial or prior public notice, following accusations of “espionage for Israel.”
 
Regional breakdown of arrests
 
Data compiled by Hengaw’s Statistics and Documentation Center reveals the following provincial distribution of arrests:
 
Khuzestan Province: 67
 
Tehran Province: 64 (including 1 Afghan national and 1 woman)
 
Fars Province: 53
 
West Azerbaijan (Urmia): 51 (including 18 girls under the age of 18)
 
Lorestan: 41
 
Hamadan: 30
 
Razavi Khorasan: 24 (including 2 women)
 
Qom: 22
 
Semnan: 21
 
Kerman: 20 (including 1 woman)
 
Isfahan: 19
 
Bushehr: 19 (including 1 Afghan national)
 
Mazandaran: 16
 
Hormozgan: 14
 
Golestan: 11
 
Qazvin: 10 (including 2 women)
 
Kermanshah (Kermashan): 9 (including 6 women and 1 European citizen)
 
Yazd: 8
 
Ardabil: 5
 
Alborz: 4
 
Kurdistan (Sanandaj): 2
 
Ilam: 2
 
East Azerbaijan: 2
 
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (Shahrekord): 1
 
North Khorasan: 1
 
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad: 1 (including 1 European citizen)
 
Gilan: 1
 
 
In addition to these figures, state-affiliated media have reported the detention of eight people in an undisclosed border city, and five others in an unspecified province—one of whom reportedly died by suicide in custody. Additional arrests have been reported in Bukan, Markazi Province, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, though exact figures have not been disclosed.
 
 
Detention of women and minors
 
At least 30 women have been detained as part of this ongoing crackdown, including: Six in Qasr-e Shirin, two in Razavi Khorasan, two in Qazvin, one in Kerman, and one in Tehran.
 
In a previous report, Hengaw documented the arrest of 18 girls under the age of 18 in Mahabad for social media activity. All were later released on bail. Kurdish females constitute 25 of the 30 females arrested, underscoring their disproportionate targeting. This wave of arrests represents a serious escalation in the state’s repression of freedom of expression, particularly against women and minorities.
 
Foreign nationals among the detainees
 
Hengaw has confirmed the arrest of two Afghan nationals—one in Tehran and another in Bushehr—as well as two European citizens, one in Kermanshah and another in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces.
 
Execution without due process
 
Majid Masibi, previously accused of espionage for Israel, was executed on June 22, 2025, in a secret and extrajudicial manner. The location of his execution remains undisclosed, and no fair legal proceedings were observed. Hengaw views the act as a politically motivated reprisal.
 
The organization had earlier warned that the Iranian government may leverage the wartime context to implement long-standing death sentences against detainees accused of espionage, using them as tools of political messaging.
 
 
Legal escalation and emergency legislation
 
The Iranian authorities have further intensified the judicial crackdown. The Ministry of Intelligence and the Judiciary have ordered the expedited prosecution of detainees under enhanced restrictions. The Supreme National Security Council has announced that any form of collaboration perceived as supportive of Israel will be met with the severest penalties.
 
In parallel, the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) has passed an emergency double-urgency bill aimed at increasing the punishment for collaboration with foreign governments.
 
 
Hengaw demands immediate action against escalating human rights violations
 
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights strongly condemns the ongoing wave of arrests and executions carried out under the guise of national security. The organization emphasizes that the Islamic Republic of Iran is systematically using politically motivated charges to silence dissent and dismantle fundamental freedoms.
 
Hengaw urgently calls on international human rights bodies to take immediate and coordinated action to halt these violations and to ensure independent monitoring of the legal status, treatment, and safety of all detainees.