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

In June 2012, authorities arrested Badawi, a…

Nabeel Masih was imprisoned for blasphemy.

On September 18, 2016, authorities arrested Masih - a minor at the time - after he was accused of posting content on Facebook insulting the Kaaba.…

Zeynab Jalalian is imprisoned on religiously oriented charges.

In March 2008, security officials violently arrested Jalalian reportedly in relation to her social and political activism for…

Rahele Ahmadi was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

On July 10, 2019, authorities arrested Ahmadi, an activist against compulsory hijab,…

Yasaman Ariani was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

In April 2019, authorities arrested Ariani for protesting compulsory hijab after she was…

Saba Kord Afshari was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

In June 2019, authorities arrested Afshari for protesting compulsory hijab after a…

Monireh Arabshahi was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

In April 2019, authorities arrested Arabshahi for protesting compulsory hijab by…

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…

Melika Qaragozlu was detained in relation to protesting religious freedom conditions.

On July 13, 2022, authorities arrested Qaragozlu, a student activist, reportedly after she…

Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo was detained for his religious conversion.

On December 15, 2021, authorities arrested Abdo, a Yemeni refugee, from his Cairo home. Abdo's arrest followed his…

Hamid Gharehassanlou is imprisoned on religiously oriented charges for protesting religious freedom conditions. 

On November 4, 2022, authorities in Karaj arrested Gharehassanlou,…

Farzaneh Gharehassanlou is imprisoned on religiously oriented charges for protesting religious freedom conditions. 

On November 4, 2022, authorities in Karaj arrested …

Mojahed Kourkour is imprisoned and sentenced to death on false charges justified on a religious basis. 

On December 20, 2022, authorities in Ahvaz arrested Kourkour in a violent raid…

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…

Fatemeh Sepehri is imprisoned for criticizing state-imposed religious policies. 

On September 21, 2022, security forces arrested Sepehri following the outbreak of nationwide…

Ahmed Mohamed was detained for blasphemy.

On May 9, 2022, security officials arrested Mohamed at his home in a village in the Fayoum Governorate. He reportedly remained forcibly disappeared…

Nasrin Soutudeh was detained for her religious freedom advocacy.

In October 2023, Iranian authorities arrested Soutudeh, an Iranian human rights activist and lawyer, as she…