A growing wave of arrests, abductions, torture, and killings of democracy activists in Iran has sparked deep concern among activists inside the country and abroad. Supporters of Prince Reza Pahlavi warn that the regime is intensifying its crackdown as opposition expands and internal fractures widen.
According to activists, nineteen-year-old Bita Shafiei was abducted on November 13, just three days after her mother, Maryam Abbasi Nikoo, was arrested by regime security forces. A video shared by Bita’s father following the raid shows extensive damage inside their home, highlighting the force used by authorities. Shafiei had previously been arrested during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, where she was imprisoned, tortured, and had her finger intentionally broken during interrogation. There is currently no information on the whereabouts or condition of either Bita or her mother.
Activists inside Iran and in the diaspora have launched the “Free Bita” campaign in response.
The crackdown includes additional cases of deaths in custody. Farzad Khoshbaresh, arrested with his brother Farhad in Neka, died after being poisoned, according to activists, and his body showed severe bruising consistent with prolonged torture. He had been detained two weeks earlier for criticizing the regime online. The family has reportedly been threatened not to speak publicly. Another case is that of 22-year-old Omid Sarlak, who was killed only hours after burning a portrait of Ali Khamenei. His death led to a wave of solidarity protests across Iran and among the diaspora.
The developments come as the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee recorded votes from 79 countries condemning Iran’s human-rights violations, signaling what activists describe as growing international consensus and alarm over the situation.
Prince Reza Pahlavi condemned the abductions and the broader crackdown, stating: “The abduction of Bita Shafiei and arrest of her mother Maryam is just the latest example of an increasingly desperate and fractured regime, clamping down on growing protests in Iran. As Bita herself said, ‘I am a young woman who wants to live, not simply exist… My dream is to see Iran free one day.’ Bita has asked us to be her voice. We will not let her down. Bita, I salute your courage and the courage of thousands of young people like you. For you, for all of our people, Iran will rise.”