According to reports received by the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC), on January 19, 2026, eleven agents acting on warrants from the Judiciary and the Prosecutor’s Office arrested Artin Ghazanfari, a Baha’i news photographer, at his Tehran residence.
During a seven-hour search of his home and private office, authorities confiscated personal belongings, electronic devices, and literature. Following his arrest, Mr. Ghazanfari was permitted only one brief telephone communication, during which he was unable to disclose his whereabouts. He remains in detention at an undisclosed site, and the specific charges against him have not been made public.
Mr. Ghazanfari’s prior record includes a 2009 arrest and a subsequent one-year prison sentence for "disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and "disrupting public order." His current detention coincides with a broader pattern of reported arrests of Baha’i citizens in Mashhad, Kerman, and Tehran amid the January 2026 nationwide protests.
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During a seven-hour search of his home and private office, authorities confiscated personal belongings, electronic devices, and literature. Following his arrest, Mr. Ghazanfari was permitted only one brief telephone communication, during which he was unable to disclose his whereabouts. He remains in detention at an undisclosed site, and the specific charges against him have not been made public.
Mr. Ghazanfari’s prior record includes a 2009 arrest and a subsequent one-year prison sentence for "disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and "disrupting public order." His current detention coincides with a broader pattern of reported arrests of Baha’i citizens in Mashhad, Kerman, and Tehran amid the January 2026 nationwide protests.
@iranhrdc
#DigitalBlackoutIran
#iran_strikes
#iran_human_rights
#artin_ghazanfari