Gender Equality Activist Arrested in Northern Iran

Elmira Bahmani, a gender equality activist, has been arrested in the city of Rasht, Gilan province. A source told IranWire that government agents raided her home on Monday morning without a warrant and took her away to an unknown location.

The reason for Bahmani’s arrest is unknown and it is not clear whether or not she took part in any demonstrations in the city over the past 10 days. Last week, the head of Iran’s judiciary approved a policy allowing police to make “preventative detentions”.

Rasht has been the site of repeated clashes between anti-Islamic Republic protesters and security forces since September 16. Iran’s northern provinces have also seen a higher number of documented arrests.