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Iran Says 139 Foreign Nationals Arrested in Yazd Over Protests

Officials frame the detentions as evidence of foreign-directed riots, with cases moving into judicial investigation.

Overview

  • Yazd police chief Ahmad Negahban said the detainees helped organise, incite and direct unrest and in some cases had contacts abroad.
  • Authorities have not disclosed the detainees' nationalities, and state media separately reported four foreigners arrested in Tehran.
  • Iran's judiciary warned that those it deems to have backed American sedition will face severe consequences as investigations proceed.
  • Protests that began over economic hardship in late December widened into nationwide anti-government unrest before a security crackdown curtailed demonstrations.
  • Death tolls remain contested, with an official figure of about 3,117 and HRANA reporting 6,854, numbers that are difficult to verify after communications shutdowns.