More Than 120 People Arrested on War-Related Security Charges

The Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic announced that it has arrested 126 people across three of the country’s provinces in connection with what it termed a “street sabotage network.” According to domestic news agencies, the ministry also announced the arrest of an individual who, it claimed, intended to infiltrate data centers and computer systems of sensitive institutions to transfer information to the United States and Israel.

The same notice also reported the detention of a “four-member cell” which, according to the Ministry of Intelligence’s claims, operated in coordination with networks abroad. These arrests are viewed as a continuation of the wave of security and judicial crackdowns following the January protests, as well as the security tensions and the recent 40-day war. Over the past several months, this trend has been accompanied by announcements of the discovery and dismantling of numerous “sabotage” networks and widespread detentions in various provinces.

In a related development, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations declared that the security pressures, arrests, judicial sentences, and restrictions imposed on teachers’ union activists cannot be seen as isolated incidents; rather, these measures are part of “a clear, organized pattern to undermine independent teachers’ associations and silence the demanding voice of society.”

Pointing to the arrest and prosecution of several teachers and union activists in various provinces, the council criticized the escalation of security pressures coinciding with the war, internet shutdowns, and the intensification of economic and educational crises. It stated that, instead of resolving the country’s problems, security institutions are seeking to restrict independent civil entities.

The Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Trade Associations also demanded the immediate release of imprisoned teachers, an end to the fabrication of legal cases against union activists, and a cessation of the atmosphere of repression, emphasizing that criminalizing and securitizing union and civil activities is a sign of an inability to respond to society’s demands. In its statement, the council condemned war, repression, and foreign intervention, while calling for peace, freedom, social justice, and the right to independent association.