NEW YORK (Jan. 13, 2026) — Today, the Human Rights Foundation submitted an individual complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on behalf of Iranian online activist and freelance editor Hossein Shanbehzadeh, urging the group to declare his detention arbitrary and in violation of international law.
After tweeting a single period at the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Shanbehzadeh was violently arrested in Ardabil by officers of the Provincial Intelligence Department, who beat him so severely that he could not sleep for several nights despite medication.
The Iranian regime accused Shanbehzadeh of being an Israeli spy, citing chat messages that were later traced to Iranian intelligence. He was later formally charged with vague and baseless crimes, including “insulting the sacred values of Islam,” “spreading lies with the aim of disturbing public opinion,” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” In August 2024, he was handed a farcical 12-year prison sentence for his social media posts, which garnered international attention.
Shanbehzadeh is currently held in the notorious Evin prison, where he has endured extended solitary confinement, beatings, and psychological torture, including threats to kill his six-year-old niece.
Shanbehzadeh’s arrest occurred amid the political unrest that followed the sudden death of former president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, during which the regime intensified its crackdown on dissent. Iranian authorities exert tight control over online spaces through strict censorship, extensive digital surveillance, and restrictions on internet connectivity, particularly during anti-regime protests.
“Shanbehzadeh’s case underscores just how weak the Iranian regime is. If they need to beat and imprison a freelance editor for 12 years just to silence a single period, it shows they are incredibly fragile,” said HRF Legal and Research Officer Hannah Van Dijcke.
Shanbehzadeh previously served a prison sentence for his online activism in 2019 when he challenged the regime’s compulsory headscarf rules and other policies. Upon his release in April 2023, he resumed his activism, documenting the torture he and other prisoners had experienced. Since his latest sentencing, he has continued to post critical content from prison, risking further punishment.
In its petition, HRF details numerous human rights violations, including the denial of a public and fair trial, vague and overly broad charges, and restricted access to legal counsel. HRF calls on the WGAD to investigate Shanbehzadeh’s case, deem his detention arbitrary and in violation of international law, and request that the Iranian regime immediately and unconditionally release him and the many other prisoners of conscience detained in Iran for demanding human rights.
Supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
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