The Information Center of the Law Enforcement Command (police) in the Ahwaz region (Khuzestan Province) has announced the mass arrest of 22 citizens in the province.
In its statement, security authorities claimed that the reason for these arrests was the “collection of field and visual information and its transmission to foreign media outlets.”
According to reports published by media outlets close to security institutions, Khuzestan police used language commonly associated with repressive bodies, accusing these citizens of “links to intelligence services” and “hostile media networks.” However, the nature of the accusations and the limited evidence presented indicate that these individuals have been targeted solely for engaging in civil activities, citizen journalism, and exercising the fundamental right to freedom of expression and the free flow of information.
The criminalization of “taking photos and videos in the field” and sharing them with independent media constitutes a clear violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
The use of broad and ambiguous charges such as “agent” or “acting against internal security” is a well-documented tactic employed by the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus to justify arbitrary arrests, exert psychological and physical pressure to extract forced confessions, and secure unjust judicial rulings.
In its statement, Khuzestan police emphasized that investigations are ongoing to arrest “other individuals and hidden layers,” raising serious concerns about the continuation of arrests and the further securitization of the Ahwaz region.
The Karun Human Rights Organization has expressed deep concern over the condition and whereabouts of these 22 detained citizens and strongly condemns the use of arrests as a tool to silence dissenting voices and suppress independent reporting.
