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Raif Badawi was imprisoned for his religious freedom advoacy, expression about religion, and for criticizing religious authorities.

In June 2012, authorities arrested Badawi, a…

Mohammad bin Hassan al-Habib is imprisoned for his religious expression, leadership role, and religious freedom advocacy.

In July 2016, authorities detained al-Habib, a Shi'a cleric, as he…

Ahmad al-Shamri is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In 2014, authorities arrested al-Shamri, accused him of using social media to insult or renounce Islam, and charged him…

Sina Dehghan is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

On October 21, 2015, authorities arrested Dehghan, who was 19-year-old at the time, after he…

Mohammad Nouri is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy. 

In or around October 2015, authorities reportedly arrested Nouri after accusing him of posting anti-Islamic content…

Soheil Arabi was detained in relation to nationwide protests against mandatory religious veiling.

On January 2, 2023, authorities in Tehran arrested Arabi from his home under unclear…

Hassan Farhan al-Maliki is detained for his religious expression and religious freedom advocacy.

In September 2017, authorities arrested al-Maliki, an…

Ali Aboluhom is imprisoned for his religious expression.

In August 2021, authorities arrested Aboluhom for allegedly expressing ideas about atheism online. Prosecutors charged him with…

Israa al-Ghomgham is imprisoned for her religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.

In December 2015, Saudi authorities arrested al-Ghomgham, a well-known Shi'a activist, along with…

Mousa al-Hashim is imprisoned for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.

In December 2015, Saudi authorities arrested al-Hashim along with his wife, a well-known Shi'a…

Farid Zirgi Moghaddam is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In August 2019, intelligence agents detained Moghaddam in Birjand reportedly in relation to posts he made about…

Noushin Jafari was imprisoned for blasphemy.

In August 2019, authorities arrested Jafari, a photojournalist and culture reporter, after accusing her of running a Twitter account that…

Parizad Hamidi Shafagh is imprisoned on blasphemy-related charges.

In February 2020, intelligence agents arrested Shafagh reportedly in relation to her social media activities.

In…

Shakila Monfared is imprisoned for blasphemy.

In August 2020, security forces arrested Monfared as she was leaving home, reportedly in relation to her social media activism.

In…

Yusef Mehrdad was imprisoned and executed on blasphemy-related charges.

In May 2020, authorities arrested Mehrdad from his home in Ardabil after accusing him and others of being a member of…

Seyyed Sadrullah Fazeli Zare was imprisoned and executed on blasphemy-related charges.

In May 2020, authorities arrested Zare after accusing him and others of being a member of a Telegram…

Ahmed al-Matrood is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.

On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Matrood for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…

Khaled al-Ghanim is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.

On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Ghanim for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…

Ali al-Ouwaisher is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.

On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Ouwaisher for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…

Mujtaba al-Muzain is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.

On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Muzain for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…

Lina Alsharif was detained in relation to religious freedom advocacy.

In May 2021, officials from the Saudi Presidency of State Security raided Alsharif’s home in Riyadh, arrested her, and…

Asmaa al-Subaie is detained for her women’s rights activism critical of state-imposed religious systems.

In June 2021, authorities affiliated with the Presidency of State Security arrested…

Hayedeh Ram is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

In February 2017, intelligence agents of Bushehr province arrested Ram and several other Baha’is.

On an…

Sepideh Rashnu was detained for resisting state-imposed religious dress.

On July 16, 2022, authorities arrested Rashnu following an altercation on a bus between a woman, who was…

Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani was imprisoned for her human rights work in support of the LGBTQI+ community.

On October 27, 2021, authorities detained Sedighi-Hamadani in Urumieh,…

Salma al-Shehab was imprisoned for her women's rights activism opposing state-imposed religious systems as well as her religious identity.

On January 15, 2021, authorities arrested al-…

Payam Vali is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On September 24, 2022, authorities in Karaj arrested Vali reportedly in relation to his being Baha'i. Security…

Atash Shahkarami was detained for speaking out about the disappearance and murder of an anti-hijab protester.

On October 2, 2022, security forces arrested Shahkarami after she spoke with…

Niloofar Hamedi was imprisoned for reporting on religious freedom conditions.

On September 22, 2022, authorities raided the home of Hamedi and arrested her in relation to her…

Maryam Nematollahi is imprisoned for opposing state-mandated religious veiling.

On October 13, 2022, authorities in Shiraz reportedly arrested Nematollahi, an Instagram influencer and…

Reyhaneh Pakzad was detained in relation to her religious belief and activity.

In January 2023, authorities in Zahedan reportedly arrested Pakzad for being Baha'i and supporting…

Ghazal Pakzad was detained in relation to her religious belief.

In January 2023, authorities in Zahedan reportedly arrested Pakzad for being Baha'i and supporting nationwide protests…

Matin Gorji was detained in relation to his religious belief and activity. 

On January 8, 2023, authorities in Qaemshahr reportedly arrested Gorji, a Baha'i. Authorities…

Mahsa Mohammadi is detained for blasphemy.

On October 30, 2022, authorities reportedly detained Mohammadi, a university student in Sabzevar, over a tweet perceived as blasphemous.…

Manahel al-Otaibi is imprisoned for her religious freedom advocacy.

In November 2022, Saudi authorities arrested al-Otaibi, an online fitness influencer, for opposing religiously grounded…

Keyvan Rahimian is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On July 18, 2023, authorities in Tehran arrested Rahimian, a lecturer at an online Baha'i university, reportedly…

Mohammed al-Ghamdi is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.  

In June 2022, security forces in Mecca arrested al-Ghamdi at his home. Prosecutors accused him of…

Nourah al-Qahtani is imprisoned for her religious activity.

In July 2021, officers of the Presidency of State Security arrested al-Qahtani for advocating for human rights on social…

Arash Moradi is imprisoned on religiously-based charges for his social activism. 

In October 2023, Iranian security forces arrested Moradi, a Gonabadi Sufi and social activist, at his…

Assad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi was sentenced on religious-based charges related to social media activity criticizing the Saudi government, including the authorities’ sidelining of the Saudi religious…

Narges Nasri was detained for her religious conversion.

In November 2024, Iranian intelligence authorities detained Nasri after raiding her Tehran home, during which they confiscated…