Iranian Civil Activist Arsham Rezaei Re-Arrested

Iranian authorities have arrested civil rights activist and former political prisoner Arsham Rezaei, and transferred him to an undisclosed location.

A source told IranWire that two vehicles filled with security agents were dispatched to detain Rezaei in Karaj, near Tehran, on October 17.

Subsequently, all CCTV footage from the vicinity was destroyed by the security agents.

There is no information available regarding Rezaei's current whereabouts and condition.

Previously, security forces attempted to apprehend Rezaei at his family's residence on August 29 but were unsuccessful due to his absence from home.

In a video posted on his Instagram page at the time, Rezaei said that 12 government agents posing as "electricity department employees" raided his mother's house, and confiscated all of his identification documents and bank cards.

Rezaei has been detained and incarcerated multiple times for his activism.

In December 2018, he was arrested by intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran.

His trial was held at the Revolutionary Court of Tehran without the presence of a defense lawyer.

The court sentenced the activist to a suspended sentence of eight years and six months on charges of "propaganda against the system," "gathering and colluding with the intent of acting against national security” and "insulting the leadership." 

The sentence was upheld on appeal.