Mass Arrest of Citizens Amid Iran–Israel Conflict
25-June-2025
Category: Arrests، Freedom of Expression
25 June 2025
Category: Freedom of Expression – Arrests
Breathing in Confinement – Over 700 citizens have been arrested by intelligence and security forces during the 12-day conflict between the Iranian regime and Israel.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, and citing Fars News Agency, more than 700 individuals have been detained across various parts of the country since the start of Israeli airstrikes. These figures are based on official reports from the country’s security and judicial institutions.
The highest number of arrests has reportedly occurred in the provinces of Kermanshah, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Fars, and Lorestan, respectively. The figures for Tehran Province have not yet been officially released.
Charges against those arrested include operating and directing drones and kamikaze micro-drones, manufacturing improvised explosive devices, filming sensitive military sites, and transmitting information to the Israeli government.
Coinciding with the onset of Israeli airstrikes and under the pretext of a “state of war,” Iranian security forces have intensified surveillance and control of online activity. A number of users have been detained for expressing views on the conflict.
In some cases, security officials have attempted to justify restrictions on freedom of expression and the suppression of citizens’ rights to voice their opinions by levelling accusations such as “bomb-making” or “drone capture.” However, according to international human rights standards—including Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory—freedom of expression is a fundamental right. Any restriction on it must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.