Hengaw  report No. 5 — At  least 900  arrested  amid Iran–Israel  war and  ongoing  crackdown  post- ceasefire — Including 40  women and 8 European  nationals

Hengaw – Saturday, July 5, 2025
 
According to data collected by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, widespread arrests continue across Iran despite the ceasefire declared ten days ago between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel. Since the onset of the war, at least 900 individuals have been detained. Hengaw has so far confirmed the identities of 155 of those arrested.
 
Among the detainees are at least 40 women, two Afghan nationals, and eight European citizens, including one woman. Most of those arrested face charges such as “espionage for Israel,” “propaganda against the state,” and “disturbing public opinion.”
 
Breakdown of arrests by province
 
Based on figures recorded by Hengaw’s Statistics and Documentation Center, the highest number of arrests—both during the conflict and after the ceasefire—have been reported in the provinces of Kermanshah (Kermashan), Khuzestan, West Azerbaijan (Urmia), and Tehran:
 
Kermanshah province: 127 arrests (including 6 women and 1 European national)
 
Khuzestan province: 100 arrests (including 1 woman)
 
West Azerbaijan (Urmia) province: 91 arrests (including 18 girls under 18)
 
Tehran: 84 arrests (including 1 Afghan national and 1 woman)
 
Fars: 59 arrests (including 1 woman)
 
Lorestan: 51 arrests
 
Gilan: 49 arrests
 
Hamadan: 37 arrests (including 1 European national)
 
Bushehr: 35 arrests (including 1 Afghan national)
 
Kerman: 28 arrests (including 2 women)
 
Razavi Khorasan: 27 arrests (including 2 women)
 
Isfahan: 25 arrests (including 3 Ukrainian nationals)
 
Mazandaran: 23 arrests (including 3 women, one of them a European citizen)
 
Qom: 22 arrests
 
Semnan: 21 arrests
 
Kurdistan (Sanandaj): 18 arrests (including 1 woman)
 
Hormozgan: 17 arrests (including 1 woman and 1 European national)
 
Golestan: 11 arrests
 
Qazvin: 10 arrests (including 2 women)
 
South Khorasan: 10 arrests (including 1 woman)
 
Yazd: 8 arrests
 
Ardabil: 6 arrests
 
Sistan and Baluchestan: 7 arrests
 
Ilam: 5 arrests (including 1 woman)
 
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad: 5 arrests (including 1 European national)
 
Alborz: 4 arrests
 
East Azerbaijan: 3 arrests
 
North Khorasan: 3 arrests
 
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (Shahrekord): 1 arrest
 
 
In addition to the above, state-affiliated media have reported the arrest of eight individuals in a border city and five others in another province, including one person who reportedly died by suicide during detention. There are also unconfirmed reports of arrests in Bukan, Markazi Province, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and Mazandaran, where several social media activists allegedly linked to Israel were detained. However, no exact figures have been released in these cases.
 
 
At least 40 women and minors among the detainees
 
At least 40 female have been detained across multiple provinces in the recent crackdown:
 
Kermanshah: 6
 
Razavi Khorasan: 2
 
Qazvin: 2
 
Kerman: 2
 
Tehran: 1
 
Ilam: 1
 
Kurdistan (Sanandaj): 1
 
Khuzestan: 1
 
Hormozgan: 1
 
South Khorasan: 1
 
Fars: 1
 
Mazandaran: 3 (including 1 woman of European nationality)
 
 
Additionally, 18 girls under the age of 18 were arrested in Mahabad for their social media activities and were later released on bail.
 
 
At least 300 Kurdish people detained
 
Hengaw’s records show that a significant number of those arrested are among the Kurds. At least 127 individuals from Kermanshah and 91 from West Azerbaijan (Urmia) were Kurdish. Among them were 26 Kurdish women. Hengaw has so far verified the identities of 81 Kurdish people detained during this period.
 
 
Foreign nationals among the detainees — Two Afghans and eight Europeans
 
At least two Afghan nationals were detained in the provinces of Tehran and Bushehr, and eight European nationals, including one woman, were arrested in various provinces. Among them are three Ukrainian citizens detained in Isfahan, while others were arrested in Kermanshah, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and Hormozgan.
 
The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly been accused of using foreign nationals, especially dual citizens, as political hostages for leverage and negotiations.
 
 
Escalation of judicial repression: Harsh penalties for sharing information
 
In a move to intensify censorship, the Iranian judiciary has passed a fast-tracked bill that imposes 15 to 25 years of imprisonment and permanent disqualification from public service for sending images or videos to foreign media during wartime or security-related events. Such cases are now prioritized in Revolutionary Courts.
 
This legislation is part of a broader effort by the government to suppress independent reporting and silence freedom of expression.
 
 
Hengaw's condemnation and urgent appeal
 
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights strongly condemns this widespread campaign of arrests and warns that the Islamic Republic of Iran is systematically using national security charges to suppress dissent and violate fundamental rights.
 
Hengaw urgently calls on international human rights organizations to take immediate action to ensure independent and effective monitoring of the situation of detainees in Iran.