Re-arrest of Elham Salehi, a child rights activist in Tehran
With the re-arrest of Elham Salehi, a child rights activist in Tehran, the voices of children are also being silenced.
Elham Salehi, a social researcher and civil society activist who has been working for years on child labor rights, has once again been targeted by the Islamic Republic's security forces. The 37-year-old activist, who lives in Tehran, was arrested by security agents at his home on Saturday, August 2, 2025, and taken to an unknown location.
The news of Salehi's arrest was confirmed by human rights sources, and according to his relatives, after a week of silence, the civil activist was able to announce his relative health by publishing a short message, but there is still no information about his whereabouts or the institution responsible for his arrest.
His recent arrest comes at a time when Elham Salehi has faced pressure from security agencies before. In December 2024, he was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of 20 million tomans on charges such as “spreading lies,” “disturbing public opinion,” and “insulting officials” for his critical reaction to the news of Ebrahim Raisi’s death; a sentence that was suspended for five years. However, security encounters with him continued, and officers raided his home at the same time and confiscated his personal belongings, including his laptop, mobile phone, and research manuscripts.
In recent years, Ms. Salehi has tried to be a voice for a segment of society that has been forgotten in the shadow of economic crises and government neglect, focusing on the plight of disadvantaged children, including child laborers and street children. Now, her re-arrest once again confirms the severity of the repression of civil activists in Iran.
The increasing arrests of social activists, human rights defenders, and Christian or critical citizens are part of a systematic policy aimed at suppressing independent voices and undermining the foundations of civil society in Iran. Silence, threats, and arrests have also become tools to silence women activists in Iran. While activists like Elham Salehi only want justice, human dignity, and a better future for the children of this land, they face security charges and violent behavior. This worrying trend not only violates the fundamental rights of citizens, but also serves as a warning sign for the continued atmosphere of oppression and injustice in the country. Continuing this approach, instead of silencing protests, will further question the legitimacy of repressive institutions.
