Freelance journalist Kianoush Darvishi (former Ensaf News reporter) was arrested on February 16, 2026, after being summoned to the prosecutor's office and transferred to Tehran Greater Prison. As the sole caregiver for his mother, who is undergoing cancer chemotherapy, his detention creates an acute humanitarian crisis. He had previously been summoned by cyber police over social media posts related to the protests, which led to his bank accounts being frozen.

This arrest is part of a broader wave documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other sources in February 2026, including Mehdi Mahmoudian, Vida Rabbani , Hassan Abbasi, Artin Ghazanfari, Navid Zarrehbin Irani. Vida Rabbani has been repeatedly detained for her reporting and solidarity with protesters. Most recently, she was arrested on January 31, 2026, for signing a peaceful statement supporting the ongoing uprising, and is currently on hunger strike in Tonekabon Prison to protest her mistreatment and distant detention.

These journalists face enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture, coerced confessions (often broadcast on state media), unfair trials in Revolutionary Courts, and risks of long imprisonment or execution on charges such as “propaganda against the state” or “national security” offenses.

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