Reports related to arrests and political prisoners
More than 250 people were arrested across various provinces of Iran in the past 24 hours, according to media outlets affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian citizen who was imprisoned in France on charges of "glorifying terrorism" and recently returned to Iran, stated on television that she was forced to eat only vegetables for 237 days and was prohibited from wearing a hijab in prison. One of her charges involved supporting Hamas, a group backed by the Islamic Republic, in its armed attack on Israel.
A group of political prisoners in Tehran’s Evin Prison, including detainees from the January 2025 uprising, have issued a statement reporting ongoing torture, beatings, and denial of medical care, naming specific victims and calling for international attention to their plight.
Abolfazl Ghadyani, a political prisoner at Evin Prison, has issued a statement blaming the officials of the Islamic Republic, led by Ali Khamenei, for causing war through provocative actions and interference in regional affairs. Ghadyani also criticizes the regime's suppression of protest movements and calls for a referendum on regime change to prevent further destruction of Iran.
Footage from an airplane shows a tornado striking Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma.
Prince Reza Pahlavi, in the presence of German parliament representatives, stated that the current conflict in Iran is due to decades of warmongering by the Islamic Republic and Western appeasement. Following the press conference, an individual attacked Prince Reza Pahlavi, threw red liquid on him, and is now in police custody.
Berlin police have arrested an individual who sprayed a red substance on Prince Reza Pahlavi during a federal press conference; the person is in custody facing charges of causing bodily harm, property damage, and insulting a political figure, with the possibility of extended detention under review.
His Imperial Majesty Reza Shah II, the Exalted Shahanshah of the Land of Iran, revealed at a Berlin press conference that the Islamic Republic regime has sentenced 20 political prisoners to execution and has been systematically suppressing the people by cutting off internet access for eight weeks.
White House spokesperson Caroline Levine described the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' seizure of commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz as "pirate-like" behavior. The statement was made during an interview with Ruhollah Rahimpour, a journalist and political analyst.
Maryam Davoudian, a 58-year-old resident of Bokan, was arrested on Monday, April 31, 1405 (2026), after being summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office and transferred to Urmia Prison. She suffers from multiple health conditions and requires ongoing medical care.
The American Pen Center announced that Golrokh Iraee, a writer and political prisoner incarcerated in Evin Prison, has been named the winner of the PEN/Barbie "Freedom to Write" Award for 2026. Poet and translator Ali Asadollahi is also a recipient of the award, which honors writers persecuted for their views. The two writers are to be honored at the American PEN literary ceremony on May 14, 2026, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
On April 22, 2026, Hengaw News Agency reported that at least nine political prisoners, including eight from Evin Prison and one from Tehran’s Greater Penitentiary, were transferred to Rajaei Shahr Prison in Karaj and are being held in restrictive conditions known as "safe cells."
