Nima Ghasemi
Ghasemi, a philosophy scholar who holds a PhD from Shahid Beheshti University, was arrested in February 2021 and taken to Evin Prison where he was kept in solitary confinement… More
Qasem Bahrami Sheyda Hamedani
Poet and musician Qasem Bahrami was detained in September 2021 on unknown charges, most likely due to his original poems and online readings of verses that criticize the government.… More
Toomaj Salehi
Rapper Toomaj was briefly arrested in September 2021. Denied legal representation, in January 2022 he was given a 6-month suspended sentence for “insulting leadership” and “propaganda.” He was arrested… More
Touraj Amini
Historian, researcher, and literary writer Touraj Amini was tried for “spreading propaganda against the state” and given a reduced sentence of six months in prison. While he was detained,… More
Yasin Qasemi Bajd
A member of the Sunni minority in Iran who writes on politics and religion, Yasin Qasemi Bajd was arrested and reportedly interrogated in February 2021 on a number of… More
Ahmad Qatamesh
Septugenarian literary writer and scholar Ahmad Qatamesh has been in and out of prison for a decade for his dissident political opinions and his membership in political organizations considered… More
Jamal Al-Sayer
Public figure and poet Jamal Al-Sayer took to Twitter in July 2021 posting his poems about corruption in Kuwait. On July 5, 2021, he was arrested and detained at… More
Akbar Azad
Akbar Azad is a poet, activist, and journalist from Iran continuously targeted by authorities. First arrested after giving a speech for UNESCO in 2014, he has been detained and… More
Aram Fathi
Fathi, a Kurdish poet, writer, and activist, was arrested and taken to an unknown location on June 17, 2021, after the Iranian intelligence service conducted a raid on his… More
Marjan Davari
Marjan Davari was arrested on September 23, 2015 after translating a book about the Eckankar spiritual group, and faced multiple charges, including “corruption on earth.” Though she was sentenced… More