Iran: Mass arrest of human rights defenders amid escalating repression of civil society
Front Line Defenders is deeply alarmed by the mass arrest of human rights defenders, including human rights lawyers, journalists, doctors and medical staff tending the injured protesters and technologists and digital rights defenders. To document and report on human rights violations, including mass killings and arrest, has been impossible due to Iran’s digital blackout in the last three weeks, and those working on the ground face grave threats to their lives and safety.
Front Line Defenders is particularly concerned by the arrest of Afsoon Alimoradian, Vafa Salehi, and Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour, which appears to be part of an escalating pattern of repression against civil society actors and independent lawyers in Iran.
Afsoon Alimoradian and Vafa Salehi are human rights defenders from Nahavand, Hamedan province, who have been engaged for more than 15 years in peaceful, community-based humanitarian and social work. Afsoon Alimoradian’s human rights activities have focused on supporting disaster-affected communities, promoting women’s entrepreneurship, assisting underprivileged children through access to education, and facilitating the release of prisoners convicted of non-intentional crimes. Through the civil initiative Yaran-e Nejat, the human rights defenders has played a central role in securing the release of more than 100 prisoners and mediating reconciliation in numerous cases.
According to information received by Front Line Defenders, Afsoon Alimoradian and Vafa Salehi were arrested by the Iranian authorities on 23 January 2026. Afsoon Alimoradian was reportedly arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence last year following an act of peaceful protest in Alimoradian hospital. At the time of writing, there is limited information available regarding the legal basis for their arrests, their current place of detention, or any charges brought against them, raising serious concerns regarding their safety and due process rights.
Front Line Defenders is also deeply concerned by the arrest of Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour, a human rights defender, lawyer, and member of the Fars Bar Association in Shiraz, Fars province. Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour has been actively engaged in providing legal defence and professional support to individuals targeted for their civic, social, and political activities. Front Line Defenders has previously warned against the targeting of human rights lawyers amid the crackdown ongoing since 28 December 2025, which has reportedly resulted in the killing of thousands of protesters in Iran according to human rights reports.
On 18 January 2026, Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour was arrested in Shiraz. Reports indicate that his arrest is linked to his peaceful professional activity, including signing a public letter by a group of lawyers expressing solidarity with protesters, condemning the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians, and calling for accountability, due process, and the independence of legal institutions. The letter emphasised that the direct shooting of protesters constitutes a grave violation of the right to life, the right to peaceful assembly, and Iran’s domestic and international legal obligations.
Front Line Defenders is gravely concerned that the arrests are intended to punish and silence human rights defenders for their peaceful humanitarian, civic, and professional activities. The targeting of civic actors, community organisers, and independent lawyers reflects a broader attempt by the authorities to dismantle networks of solidarity, restrict access to justice, and deter legal and humanitarian support for affected communities during a period of heightened repression.
Front Line Defenders believes that Afsoon Alimoradian, Vafa Salehi, and Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour have been targeted solely as a result of their legitimate and peaceful human rights work. The organisation calls on the authorities in Iran to immediately release them, to disclose their whereabouts, and to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity. Front Line Defenders further calls on the authorities to cease the criminalisation and judicial harassment of human rights defenders, release those detained recently including Shima Goosheh and Seyed Mehdi Karimi Farsi and ensure that they are able to carry out their work without fear of reprisals.
Front Line Defenders urges the international community to do everything in its power to protect human rights defenders, including supporting all existing international protection and accountability mechanisms.
