According to reports from independent media outlets, at least 10 environmental activists from different parts of the country were arrested during the nationwide protests of January 2026 under the pretext of posing a “security threat” and facing charges such as “disrupting national security.” Most of these arrests took place in the second half of January, coinciding with the peak of the protests, and the condition of several detainees has been reported as concerning.
Among those arrested are Hossein Ansarian (an artist and local environmental activist from Dehdasht), Fariborz Heydari (a professional environmental photographer and cartoonist arrested in eastern Tehran), and Arash Nikookhou (a teacher and founder of the volunteer wildfire-control group “Siavash Unit” in the Zagros region). Amirhossein Heydari, Erfan Parvaresh, Amir Mohammad Abrishami, Mohammad Seyadat, Hamzeh Alimoradi, and Shayan Khodayar — environmental science students at Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources — have also been detained.
These actions reflect an expansion of systematic repression by the government into the sphere of civil society, including non-political activists, through the use of security-related accusations. Although one detainee, Niyayesh Mozaffari (an environmental student), was temporarily released on bail after 25 days, serious concerns remain regarding the situation of the other detainees — particularly in light of past cases involving enforced disappearances and coerced confessions.
The arrest of these individuals appears not only to be an attempt to silence independent environmental activists but also to send a warning message to organized grassroots networks operating outside state control.
The detention of environmental activists in Iran illustrates the securitization of civil activities, including environmental work. These arrests suggest that any form of independent collective action — even in seemingly non-political fields such as environmental protection — is interpreted by the authorities as an organized security threat and met with repression, arrest, and prosecution.
These arrests have taken place amid reports of widespread violence and mass detentions of protesters across the country. The primary responsibility for these actions is attributed to Ali Khamenei, who, according to critics, should be held accountable and tried for crimes against humanity.
The Environmental Working Group of the Left Party of Iran condemns the arrest of environmental activists and calls for their immediate release. We also call for the release of those detained during the recent protests and all political (prisoners of conscience) detainees.
Environmental Working Group of the Left Party of Iran
February 20, 2026
افزودن دیدگاه جدید