Hengaw  special  report on the  first  week of the Iran- Israel  war: At  least 322 arrested,  including 30  women, two Afghan  nationals, and  one  European  citizen

Hengaw - Friday, June 20, 2025
 
According to information gathered by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at least 322 people have been arrested by Iranian security forces across various cities during the first week of the ongoing war between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel. This sweeping wave of detentions reflects a significant escalation in state repression.
 
Those arrested have been accused of charges such as "espionage for Israel," "propaganda against the state," and "spreading public unrest." Among the detainees are at least 30 women, two Afghan nationals, and one European citizen.
 
Breakdown of  arrests by province
 
Data collected by Hengaw’s Statistics and Documentation Center shows that the highest number of arrests occurred in Tehran Province (60 cases), followed by Lorestan (39) and Hamedan (30).
 
Tehran: 60 cases (including 1 Afghan national and 1 woman)
 
Lorestan: 39 cases
 
Hamedan: 30 cases
 
West Azerbaijan (Urmia): 28 cases (including 18 girls under 18)
 
Khorasan Razavi: 24 cases
 
Semnan: 21 cases
 
Isfahan: 19 cases
 
Mazandaran: 15 cases
 
Hormozgan: 14 cases
 
Khuzestan: 12 cases
 
Golestan: 11 cases
 
Qazvin: 10 cases (including 2 women)
 
Bushehr: 10 cases (including 1 Afghan national)
 
Kermanshah (Kermashan): 6 cases (all women)
 
Kerman: 6 cases (including 1 woman)
 
Ardabil: 5 cases
 
Kurdistan (Sanandaj): 2 cases
 
Alborz: 2 cases
 
Ilam: 2 cases
 
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (Shahr-e Kord): 1 case
 
North Khorasan: 1 case
 
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad: 1 case (the European citizen)
 
 
In addition to the provincial data, official state media have confirmed arrests in other areas—including the city of Bukan, Markazi Province, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province—without disclosing specific numbers.
 
 
At  least 30  women  among the  detainees
 
Hengaw has documented the arrest of at least 31 women, including:
 
6 in Qasr-e Shirin,
 
2 in Khorasan Razavi,
 
2 in Qazvin,
 
1 in Kerman, and
 
1 in Tehran.
 
 
Furthermore, a previous Hengaw report confirmed that 18 girls under the age of 18 were detained in Mahabad for their social media activity and later released on bail. These numbers highlight the disproportionate targeting of Kurdish women, who account for 25 of the total female detainees.
 
These arrests are part of a broader pattern of repression that violates freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, disproportionately affecting women and ethnic/national minorities.
 
 
Escalation of  judicial  repression and  threats of  harsh  sentences
 
Following earlier threats, both the Ministry of Intelligence and the Judiciary have imposed strict restrictions and ordered the swift prosecution of detainees. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has also issued a statement warning that any action perceived as support for Israel will be met with the severest punishment.
 
In line with this approach, the Iranian Parliament has passed an emergency double-urgency bill aimed at increasing penalties for those allegedly cooperating with foreign governments.
 
Hengaw views these developments as part of a systematic and institutionalized campaign of repression that undermines due process, accelerates arbitrary sentencing, and potentially paves the way for extrajudicial executions.
 
 
Criminalization of  joy over the  war in Iranian Kurdistan
 
Amid the ongoing conflict, the Judiciary in Kurdistan Province announced that any expression of joy over the Iran-Israel war on social media is a punishable offense. Hengaw previously reported that the judiciary has sent SMS warnings to residents, threatening legal action for "celebrating or inciting unrest."
 
Hengaw calls for action over arbitrary detentions in Iran
 
Hengaw strongly condemns this wave of arbitrary arrests and emphasizes that the Islamic Republic of Iran is using security-related accusations to silence dissent and curtail fundamental freedoms. The organization calls on international human rights bodies to take urgent action and ensure independent oversight of the treatment and legal status of all detainees.