Arrest of “Amirhossein Sheikhmohamadi” and “Majid Karimi” Continues Islamic Republic’s Crackdown Wave
“Amirhossein Sheikhmohamadi”, a veterinary medicine student at Azad University in Karaj, was arrested without a court order and transferred to an unknown location, and “Majid Karimi” (Rehoverd), a poet and Kurdish language instructor, was subjected to intensive interrogation following a security force raid on his home in Tehran; two new cases that once again reveal the extent of suppression against academics and cultural activists in Iran.
In the continuation of an escalating wave of suppression against citizens, students, and cultural activists in Iran, reports indicate the arrest of Amirhossein Sheikhmohamadi, a veterinary medicine student at Azad University in Karaj, and Majid Karimi, known as “Rehoverd”, a poet and volunteer Kurdish language instructor, by the Islamic Republic’s security forces; arrests that have further increased concerns about intensified pressure on Iran’s academic and cultural society.
According to information released by human rights organizations, Amirhossein Sheikhmohamadi was arrested on the morning of May 18 (Ordibehesht 28) in Karaj by government forces and transferred to an unknown location. Informed sources stated that security agents arrested this Azad University student without presenting a court order, and to date, no clear information has been released regarding his place of detention, physical condition, or potential charges.
Meanwhile, another report details the arrest of Majid Karimi, a poet, writer, and Kurdish language instructor in Tehran. According to sources close to this cultural activist’s family, the Information Bureau’s forces raided his private residence, conducted a thorough search of the house, confiscated his mobile phone and laptop, and subjected him to hours of interrogation. This cultural activist was released on one of Tehran’s streets after approximately 24 hours of detention and intensive interrogation.
Reports indicate that security agencies have accused Majid Karimi of “collaborating with Kurdistan parties”; a recurring charge that has been used for years against cultural activists, mother tongue language teachers, and Kurdish writers in Iran.
The arrest of these two citizens occurs at a time when international human rights organizations and independent media outlets have repeatedly warned in recent months about escalating security pressure against students, civil activists, and ethnic minorities in Iran. Published reports show that the Islamic Republic has arrested dozens of students, teachers, writers, and Kurdish activists in recent months without access to lawyers or contact with their families.
In many of these cases, detainees are held in security detention centers for days or weeks in complete isolation; a process that, according to human rights organizations, creates conditions for psychological pressure, torture, and forced confessions. Some reports indicate that families have no information about where their loved ones are being held, and security agents threaten them and prevent them from informing others.
Pressure on Kurdish cultural activists has also expanded significantly in recent years. According to published reports, the Islamic Republic pursues voluntary Kurdish language education and independent cultural activities with a security perspective, and activists in this field have repeatedly faced charges such as “propaganda against the system” or “contact with opposition groups”.
Under such circumstances, the arrest of students and cultural activists is seen merely as part of the Islamic Republic’s broader policy to control civil society and silence independent voices; a policy that critics view as an attempt to create an atmosphere of terror and prevent the formation of any social and cultural protest.
