Iran Launches New Wave of Arrests Following Ceasefire with Israel.
Iranian authorities have launched a new wave of arrests across the country following a ceasefire with Israel after 12 days of war.
Arman Nikaien, a Bahai citizen from Qeshm, was arrested on Monday evening by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) agents in Shiraz while visiting family with his wife.
The arrest was reportedly carried out without a judicial warrant, and the whereabouts and condition of the musician remain unknown.
Mohammad Reza Ehsanifard, a 28-year-old Iranian rapper from Yazdanshahr near central Najafabad, known by his stage name Khaleg, was arrested during the early days of the war. Ehsanifard is known for releasing protest music.
Intelligence agents raided his home, confiscated both his and his wife’s mobile phones, and took him to an undisclosed location.
Sources close to Ehsanifard’s family said they have approached security institutions to follow up on his case but have received no clear information regarding the charges, reason for arrest, or his current location.
Civil society activists also reported the arrest of Kianoush Cheraghi, a civil rights activist from Dehloran, on Tuesday morning.
Cheraghi was reportedly transferred to the intelligence detention center in Ilam on charges of “supporting the hostile enemy.”
The wave of arrests and threats against citizens has intensified in recent days amid a war between Iran and Israel.
The arrests come as Iranian authorities reported detaining more than 700 people across the country on charges of espionage for Israel.
Officials allege that those arrested were involved in activities such as directing suicide drones, manufacturing homemade bombs, photographing sensitive military sites, and transmitting information to Israel.
Iran wire