Following the recent 12-day war, Saeed Montazerolmahdi, spokesperson for Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, announced the arrest of around 21,000 people as “suspects” — the highest official figure reported so far, sparking widespread concern over human rights violations in Iran.
Increase in Public Calls and Wave of Arrests
The spokesperson stated that during this period, public calls to the 110 police hotline increased by 41%, leading to 7,850 reports and the arrests of those individuals. He added that 2,774 of those detained were described as “foreign spies,” 261 were accused of espionage, and 172 were arrested for “unauthorized filming.” In addition, 30 “special security cases” were allegedly identified through searches of the detainees’ phones.
Harsh Sentences Against Ahwazi Citizens
Earlier, Karun Human Rights Organisation had reported that 80 Ahwazi citizens were transferred to Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison and subsequently handed down heavy sentences:
• 5 years in prison on charges of “espionage and collaboration with Mossad”
• 1 year in prison for “propaganda against the regime”
• 2 years in prison for “insulting Ali Khamenei”
• 2-year travel ban and 2 years of mandatory attendance at “reform” sessions held by the IRGC and Basij
These verdicts were issued in Branch 1 of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Ehsan Adibi Mehr, without the defendants having access to their own chosen lawyers. Local sources reported torture, threats, and even sexual assault during interrogations.
Attack on Evin Prison and Re-Arrest of Prisoners
Montazerolmahdi claimed that during Israel’s attack on Evin Prison on the 11th day of the war, security forces intervened within five minutes and re-arrested 127 political and security prisoners who were “attempting to escape.” In the attack, 71 people were killed and parts of the prison, the prosecutor’s office, and the clinic were destroyed. However, human rights organizations have reported beatings and verbal abuse of prisoners.
Fourteen political prisoners, including Abolfazl Ghadiani, issued a statement rejecting the judiciary’s claim that the “transfer process” was normal, describing the actions of security forces as “blatant violence.”
International Reaction
Kenneth Blackwell, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, warned in an article about the “risk of mass executions” and called for an urgent international response. Reports indicate that, following the recent war, the Islamic regime executed 11 people accused of spying for Israel — most of whom had been arrested prior to the conflict.
