Arrest of Fariborz Kohanzad, a student at Sharif University of Technology
29-April-2026
Category: Arrests
28 April 2026
News group: Arrest –
Breathing in Confinement: Fariborz Kohanzad, a student at Sharif University, has been arrested.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, the Student Council of Sharif University of Technology has reported the arrest of Fariborz Kohanzad, an undergraduate student of electrical engineering at the university. According to this report, Mr Kohanzad entered the university in 2021, and no precise details regarding the manner or timing of his arrest have yet been disclosed.
At the time of writing, there is no clear information available regarding his place of detention, the detaining authority, the charges brought against him, his physical and psychological condition, his access to a lawyer of his choosing, or his ability to contact his family. The lack of transparency in these matters—particularly in the early stages of detention—is concerning and, from the perspective of human rights bodies, may indicate violations of fundamental rights, including the right to legal representation, the right to be informed of charges, and the right to a fair trial.
This student’s arrest comes amid reports of an increasingly securitised environment in the country. At the same time as rising tensions and military confrontations between the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States, and Israel, some officials have described conditions as approaching a “wartime situation”. In this context, various sources have reported intensified security pressures, including widespread arrests, the implementation of execution sentences, and the imposition of severe and prolonged restrictions on internet access.