“To spread fear after the fall of Assad… Iranian security accuses recently arrested Ahvaz Arabs of espionage.”

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ intelligence agency has claimed to have “dismantled a spy network” comprised of Ahvaz Arabs. This comes following reports of the arrest of dozens of poets, activists, and Sunni citizens in southwestern Iran.

In a statement issued on the evening of Friday, January 10, the security agency alleged that the detained Arab activists were “members of a spy network linked to the intelligence services of a Gulf country.” The agency accused the detainees of “gathering information on sensitive locations in Khuzestan Province” and stated that they were handed over to judicial authorities after their arrest.

These claims follow a wave of arrests targeting dozens of Ahvaz Arab poets, cultural and human rights activists, journalists, and environmentalists over the past month. Authorities reportedly confiscated personal devices, including mobile phones and computers, during the arrests.

Reports indicate that more than 100 individuals have been summoned to detention centers run by the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence agency and the Ministry of Intelligence in the province, where they were subjected to interrogation and threats.

On Thursday, January 9, the news outlet Iran International published the identities of some of the detainees, citing human rights sources. It reported the arrests of numerous Arab poets and cultural activists in Khuzestan.

In the latest wave of arrests, the human rights organization Karun, which monitors violations against Arab citizens in Iran, stated that Iranian security forces had detained more than 10 Sunni citizens in the city of Ahvaz since December 21.

The list of detainees includes names such as Abdulmalik Heidari, Mohammad Heidari, Khalil Khazali, Ali Khazali (Abu Jubair), Reza Zohairi, Mohammad Silawi, Reza Shamousi, Ali Omouri, Younes Gharbawi, and Mohammad Marwani.

The human rights organization expressed concern over these arrests, noting that they raise fears about religious restrictions and violations of individual freedoms in the province.

According to the report, five individuals were arrested early last month, including Reza Hezbawi, Ahmad Simirat, Mehdi Simirat, Nabi Simirat, and Mehdi Simiri. These individuals were summoned to the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz and later transferred to the Ahvaz Central Prison (Sheiban).

The report added that the detainees had been questioned and searched upon their return from performing Hajj at Ahvaz Airport, where their mobile phones were confiscated. They were subsequently summoned by a security agency for interrogation regarding “performing prayers in the Sunni manner during Hajj.”

In another report, the human rights organization noted the arrest of two other individuals, Saeed Dourqi and Mohammad Shakhiti Pour (Abyat), in Ahvaz. The organization stated that there is no information about their fate following their detention.

It is worth noting that crackdowns on civil and political activists have intensified since the start of protests in September 2022 under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom,” which are still ongoing.

On December 26, 2024, the human rights organization HRANA reported that at least 2,783 individuals had been arrested over the past year for their political and civil activities by Iranian security forces.