IRGC Arrests Ahwazi Youth Over Online Posts
In yet another episode of ongoing human rights violations committed by Iran against the Ahwazi people, the intelligence unit of the IRGC militia arrested Ahwazi citizen Parsa Qasemi (18 years old), a resident of Arjan city, on Tuesday, without presenting any legal warrant or providing an official explanation for the arrest.
Qasemi was detained for publishing critical content on social media platforms, a move that reflects the growing crackdown on freedom of expression in the digital space, particularly in regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, such as Ahwaz.
Despite attempts by the detainee’s family to contact security authorities to learn about his fate and place of detention, all their efforts were met with silence and a lack of official response, heightening their fears for his safety.
As of the time of writing this report, no information has been made available about Qasemi’s whereabouts or the nature of the charges against him, raising concerns that he may face ill-treatment or torture, given Iran’s notorious record of violating the rights of detainees, especially Ahwazis.
This incident constitutes a clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the “Nelson Mandela Rules,” which explicitly state that every detainee has the right to immediately inform their family or a trusted lawyer of their place of detention and conditions upon arrest.
It also contradicts the fundamental principles of the right to freedom of expression and protection from arbitrary detention, enshrined in several international conventions and treaties signed by Iran, which it continues to systematically violate particularly in its treatment of activists, journalists, and Ahwazi citizens.
