In the wake of recent Israeli airstrikes, the Iranian government has launched a new wave of widespread crackdowns across the country, citing “wartime conditions” and an intensified security atmosphere. The arrest of hundreds of citizens in various provinces over recent days has once again raised serious concerns over grave human rights violations, especially regarding freedom of expression and the right to fair judicial proceedings.
Arrests Amid Censorship and a Militarized Climate
Since June 14, 2025, at least 300 individuals have been arrested across different provinces in Iran, mostly on vague charges such as “espionage,” “disturbing public opinion,” and even “media support for Israel.” Human rights sources believe that this figure represents only a fraction of the actual number of arrests.
The geographic scale of the crackdown — spanning provinces like Tehran, Kerman, Fars, Khorasan, Golestan, Kurdistan, Isfahan, Bushehr, and many others — points to a systematic effort to instill fear, silence dissenting voices, and exert strict control over digital and public spaces.
Citizen Arrested for Posting Satirical Video
One particularly concerning case is the arrest of Ali Shahbazi, a resident of Behbahan, on June 17, 2025. He was detained by security forces solely for publishing a satirical video commenting on the recent Israeli attack. Despite the non-threatening and critical nature of the content, Shahbazi was forcibly taken to an undisclosed location and has since been denied access to legal counsel and contact with his family. Such actions are a blatant violation of the right to free expression and the most basic legal protections owed to detainees.
Four Arrests in Kerman on Vague Charges
Simultaneously, authorities in Kerman have reported the arrest of four more citizens (three men and one woman). Without offering any substantive details, the provincial police commander claimed these individuals were detained in connection with “disturbing public order” and “causing public anxiety” — general charges that are often applied without credible evidence.
Accelerated Judicial Process and Threat of Capital Punishment
In a threatening statement, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Chief of Iran’s Judiciary, declared that those accused of collaborating with Israel must be “swiftly tried and punished.” Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament has approved — under double urgency — a bill that would intensify penalties for “collaborators with Israel,” a designation that could now be interpreted as “corruption on earth” (efsad fel-arz), potentially leading to the death penalty. Such measures not only grossly undermine judicial impartiality and independence but also violate the principles of due process, the rights of the accused, and international human rights standards. Accelerated sentencing without proper legal defense or access to counsel paves the way for systemic injustice and the deprivation of the right to life.
