An Iranian–American woman is being held in incommunicado detention in Tehran after her arrest upon arrival at Imam Khomeini Airport in September, according to Norway-based rights group Hengaw.
The woman, identified as Afarin Mohajer, normally lives in Los Angeles and has been held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, the group said.
Hengaw said security forces detained Mohajer on September 29 after she landed in Tehran and transferred her directly to Evin Prison, where she has had no access to due process and her legal status remains unclear.
US-based rights group the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) also reported her arrest, adding that there is no information about the charges against her.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has a long record of detaining dual nationals and using them as leverage in foreign policy disputes,” Hengaw said.
“There are growing concerns that Mohajer may become the latest victim of this practice, often described as hostage diplomacy,” the rights group added.
More arrests
In August, The New York Times reported, citing rights groups and lawyers, that Iran is holding at least four Iranian–American citizens, including two individuals arrested after Iran’s June war with Israel.
Hostage Aid Worldwide, a nonprofit that aids families of detainees, was quoted as saying it remains in contact with the detainees’ friends and relatives, and that all four had traveled to Iran from the United States to visit family.
The report cited two Iranian officials as saying that two of the detainees were arrested as part of a crackdown on suspected operatives linked to Israel and the United States.
Over recent years, Iran has repeatedly detained foreign and dual nationals, including US citizens and Iranian–Americans, on broad national-security or espionage charges, a practice rights groups have condemned for its lack of transparency and unclear legal proceedings.
One such case involved Iranian–American businessman Siamak Namazi, who was held in Evin Prison from 2015 until his release in 2023, with his detention cited as part of a larger prisoner-swap deal between Iran and the United States.
