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Sunday, February 8, 2026
Prominent Iranian activist arrested over statement critical of regime – report
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleProminent Iranian activist Ghorban Behzadian-Nejad was arrested for his contribution to a statement critical of Iran’s authorities, written in the wake of their deadly crackdown on protests, the reformist daily Shargh reports.
Several public figures who supported and signed the statement have been arrested in recent days, including filmmaker Mehdi Mahmoudian, co-writer of the film “It Was Just an Accident,” which won the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes festival.
“We call for holding a free, transparent referendum… with the aim of establishing a national and inclusive government and enabling a democratic transition,” read the text by Mir Hossein Mousavi, a leading figure of the Iranian opposition and former prime minister, under house arrest since 2011.
The Times of Israel Community.