Complete Silence on the Fate of a Former Political Prisoner
Nader Teymoori, born in 1963 and a survivor of the widespread crackdowns in the 1980s, was arrested by security forces in the city of Qods at midnight on June 21, 2025. He had previously been imprisoned from 1981 to 1987 due to his political activities in the prisons of the Islamic Republic. Now, after years of withdrawing from political activism, he has once again become the target of security measures.
According to reliable reports, at around 3 a.m., six plainclothes security agents raided Teymoori’s home without presenting a judicial warrant or search order and conducted a thorough search of the premises. During the search, the agents found no evidence of any criminal activity. The only items confiscated were a few books and several photographs of Safigholi Ashrafi, a well-known figure executed in the 1980s and a former comrade of Teymoori.
Following the home search, the agents also visited and searched Teymoori’s workplace without presenting any warrant. This search was carried out with disrespect and humiliating behavior, yet no evidence was found against him.
Since his arrest, Teymoori’s family has been kept in complete ignorance regarding his status. Despite repeatedly approaching judicial and security institutions in Qods, Evin Prison, and Greater Tehran to inquire about his fate, they have been met with vague or negative responses. The lack of official replies, transparency, or even information about his detention location has raised serious concerns that Teymoori is subject to enforced disappearance—an issue that blatantly violates human rights and principles of fair trial.
Nader Teymoori is among the political prisoners of the 1980s who, after enduring five years of imprisonment and severe pressure during that period, distanced himself from political activities and pursued his personal and professional life. However, his sudden and baseless arrest at the age of 62 once again recalls the harsh repressive era of the 1980s when thousands of political activists, especially supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), were arrested, tortured, and executed.
One possible reason behind Teymoori’s recent arrest may be his past association with Safigholi Ashrafi, a supporter of the PMOI, who led the “Ayyaran” group in the 1980s. Ashrafi was arrested in 1985 along with 60 others and, after enduring severe torture, was publicly executed along with two others on January 28, 1989. Nine other members of this group were also hanged in prison on the same day. The confiscation of Ashrafi’s photographs from Teymoori’s home could indicate the security forces’ attempt to link him to past political activities.
