By Ali Heydari 

Following the 12-day war between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel, which ended in a fragile ceasefire, a widespread wave of arrests has swept across Iran, particularly in the city of Ahwaz. Reports from human rights organizations, including Karun Human Rights Organization, indicate an escalation of the regime’s security-driven approach in response to both internal and external crises. This article, drawing on human rights reports and analysis of current conditions, examines various dimensions of these arrests and their consequences.

1. External Pressure and Internal Protests Coincide

The 12-day war, which resulted in an intelligence and operational failure for the Islamic regime, not only exposed the regime’s military incompetence, but also revealed its deep fear of simultaneous external pressure and domestic unrest. According to Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran’s Chief Justice, 2,000 people were arrested nationwide following the conflict. In Ahwaz, these arrests were especially severe, reflecting the regime’s fear of a popular uprising in ethnic minority regions, especially Ahwaz. This fear is rooted in the history of popular protests in the area, repeatedly fueled by systemic discrimination, economic deprivation, and cultural repression.

2. Regime Incompetence and Escalation of Security Measures

In recent years, the Islamic regime has lost the capacity to provide basic services such as water and electricity due to mismanagement and widespread corruption. Failed projects, like the sugarcane scheme, led to the seizure of Arab farmers’ lands and environmental degradation—clear evidence of regime failure. Instead of responding to public demands, the regime has resorted to repression. The arrest of approximately 200 people in Ahwaz, confirmed by human rights sources, indicates an attempt to compensate for its failures by fostering a climate of fear and intimidation. These arrests reveal both the political and economic bankruptcy of the regime and its lack of legitimacy among the population.

3. Fabricating Security “Achievements”

The Islamic regime’s humiliating defeat in the 12-day war prompted security agencies to fabricate achievements. The mass arrests in Ahwaz with charges such as “collaboration with Mossad,” “espionage for MI6 and CIA,” and “propaganda against the regime”, are part of this effort to project strength. These accusations are often baseless and presented in sham trials, lacking any transparency or fairness. Karun Human Rights Organization reported that over 70 detainees were transferred to Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison and are facing harsh sentences.

4. Show Trials and Groundless Charges

The charges against the detainees, such as espionage and anti-regime propaganda, are largely unsupported by credible evidence. Human rights reports indicate these individuals were sentenced in swift trials that failed to adhere to basic principles of due process. These trials, often accompanied by forced confessions obtained under torture, are a clear violation of human rights and international legal standards. Many detainees were denied access to legal representation and the right to a fair defense—an approach the regime has historically used, especially against Ahwazi Arab activists.

5. Detention in Quarantine to Conceal Identities

To conceal the identities of detainees, security agencies initially held them in quarantine sections of Sheiban Prison before transferring them to other wards as arrests increased. This reflects not only the regime’s efforts to prevent information leaks, but also the strain on prison infrastructure due to the sheer number of detainees. Karun Human Rights Organization reports that 110 prisoners are now held in Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison, exacerbating inhumane conditions. These practices violate the rights of prisoners and international detention standards.

6. New Laws for Heightened Repression

Following its military defeat, the regime’s parliament passed the “Espionage Punishment Intensification Law” and an urgent bill to combat ‘false news’ online. Though ostensibly for national security, these laws serve to further suppress dissent. Charges like “insulting Khamenei” or “disturbing public opinion” are increasingly used to intimidate the public. In Ahwaz, intelligence agencies have used these laws to launch a new wave of arrests, especially targeting Ahwazi Arab cultural and civil activists.

7. Intensified Repression in Ethnic Minority Regions

Though mass arrests began nationwide, their intensity and focus in Ahwaz reveal the regime’s fear of uprisings in ethnic minority areas. Given its history of popular protests and systemic marginalization, Ahwaz remains a potential flashpoint for rebellion. The weakening of the regime’s repressive apparatus in the region during the 12-day war has increased the likelihood of successful and widespread protests, prompting the regime to ramp up mass arrests.

8. Death Sentences for Intimidation

Harsh sentences, including two death sentences each for Masoud Jamei and Alireza Mardasi, Ahwazi Arab citizens, and Farshad Etemadifar from Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, issued by Judge Adibi Mehr of Branch 1 of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court, demonstrate the regime’s intent to maximize public intimidation. This notorious judge has previously sentenced several Arab activists—including Ali Mojadam, Mohammadreza Moghaddam, Moein Khanfari, Seyed Adnan Ghobeishavi, Seyed Salem Alboshoakeh, and Habib Deris—to death. These sentences, issued without fair trial standards, are designed to suppress dissent and prevent protests.

9. Targeting Cultural and Civil Activists

Many of the recent detainees in Ahwaz are non-political, well-known cultural and civil activists. Intelligence agencies aim to expand the scope of arrests by detaining these individuals and extracting forced confessions under torture. This tactic of intimidation, used repeatedly by the regime, is meant to instill fear among civil society and to halt cultural and social initiatives.

10. International Response to Human Rights Violations
In response, Mai Sato, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, has condemned the death sentences and lack of due process for Arab political prisoners in Ahwaz. She also denounced forced confessions under torture and emphasized the need to uphold international human rights standards. This reaction, along with reports from other rights organizations, underscores the global concern over human rights violations in Iran, particularly in ethnic minority regions like Ahwaz. 

Conclusion
The mass arrests in Ahwaz after the 12-day war reflect the regime’s incompetence, fear, and crisis of legitimacy. These arrests, based on baseless charges and show trials, constitute gross human rights violations and represent a desperate attempt by the regime to offset its military and political failures. The international response and human rights reports highlight the urgent need for independent monitoring and global pressure to halt this repression. As long as the regime clings to power, the cycle of violence and discontent in Iran will persist.