Reports related to arrests and political prisoners
Souri Babaei Chaginy was arrested on January 6, 2025, in Qazvin, on charges of filming government forces beating and detaining protesters; he has been in solitary confinement for over 100 days and has been sentenced to three years in prison and a two-year travel ban.
On April 19, U.S. forces in the Arabian Sea, including the USS Spruance (DDG-111) and Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, intercepted and disabled the Iranian-flagged MV Touska heading to Bandar Abbas, bringing the total number of vessels turned back since the blockade began to 25.
U.S. President Trump announced that the U.S. military detained an Iranian cargo ship attempting to breach the naval blockade imposed on Iran.
U.S. authorities arrested Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national and resident of Los Angeles, at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of smuggling weapons, including bombs, drones, and ammunition, on behalf of the Islamic Republic to Sudan in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces Party, stated that the presence of Hezbollah and its weapons is the reason for the need for a ceasefire, Israeli occupation, prisoners, displaced people, and the necessity for reconstruction in Lebanon.
On December 14, 2025, 22 people were arrested in Khuzestan, Iran, for speaking to media outlets outside the country.
On Monday, April 24, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security arrested Yousef Azizi, an Iranian citizen, in the United States on charges of visa fraud and providing false information, including denying membership in the Basij organization. Azizi, who first entered the U.S. in 2013 on a student visa and studied at the University of Michigan and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, remains in custody at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility pending his hearing.
According to IranWire, Naveed Zarbin-e Irani, a well-known Khorasanian photographer, has been held in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad for over 90 days since his arrest, without knowledge of the charges against him or access to a lawyer.
Bita Hemmati, a young Iranian woman arrested for participating in anti-regime protests in January, is at imminent risk of execution by hanging alongside her husband in Evin Prison, Tehran.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, in an interview with Iran International, stated that the primary goal of U.S. negotiations with Iran is to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and building other military capabilities. Cassidy warned that the U.S. cannot allow Iran to maintain financial resources from the Strait of Hormuz tolls to rebuild its military.
Dozens of citizens in Tehran have been detained by police for activities on a Telegram channel, according to Fars News Agency, which reported the arrest of 50 individuals for publishing "sensitive information" and providing it to "enemy agents" in cyberspace.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the government of the Islamic Republic, stated that the country is not seeking war or instability and has always emphasized dialogue and constructive engagement, but any attempt to impose will or force submission will fail. He also said that any military action against other countries is contrary to accepted global principles.
