Femena strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of environmental defenders Sepideh Kashani, Houman Jokar, and Sima Kashani, who were detained by Iranian security forces on 1 July 2026.
According to Hojjat Kermani, the lawyer representing Sepideh Kashani and Houman Jokar, security agents raided the couple’s home, confiscated all of their electronic devices, and arrested them. The authority responsible for their detention has not yet been identified, and no information has been provided regarding the reasons for their arrest or their current whereabouts.
The re-arrest of Sepideh Kashani and Houman Jokar is particularly alarming given their previous persecution. Both are well-known environmental defenders who were arrested in 2018 alongside six other conservationists in the widely criticized “environmentalists’ case.” They were accused of espionage by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization and spent six years in prison despite the absence of credible evidence supporting the charges.
The same case also claimed the life of Kavous Seyed-Emami, an environmentalist and managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. Shortly after his arrest, Iranian prison authorities announced that he had died by suicide in detention. His family and colleagues have consistently rejected this claim and have long called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of his death.
After serving six years in prison, Sepideh Kashani and Houman Jokar were released in April 2024 under an Eid al-Fitr amnesty, together with fellow environmental defenders Niloufar Bayani and Taher Ghadirian.
On the fifth anniversary of their arrest, a letter written by Sepideh Kashani revealed the severe psychological torture and coercion she experienced during interrogation.
In her testimony, she described how interrogators repeatedly convinced her that her husband was about to be executed, forcing her to live for days under the constant fear of his imminent death. She recounted being shown footage of the body of Kavous Seyed-Emami after his death in prison and photographs of her only sister during interrogation, together with what interrogators claimed was an arrest warrant for her.
The arbitrary re-arrest of Sepideh Kashani and Houman Jokar—after they have already endured years of imprisonment, psychological torture, and internationally condemned prosecutions—raises serious concerns about the continuing persecution of environmental defenders in Iran. The simultaneous arrest of Sima Kashani further demonstrates the authorities’ use of intimidation against family members of human rights and environmental defenders.
Femena calls on the Iranian authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Sepideh Kashani, Houman Jokar, and Sima Kashani.
- Disclose their whereabouts, ensure they have immediate access to lawyers of their own choosing, and allow regular contact with their families.
- End the judicial harassment, arbitrary detention, and intimidation of environmental and human rights defenders.
- Conduct independent and impartial investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment committed against environmental defenders in detention, and hold those responsible accountable.
- Respect Iran’s obligations under international human rights law, including the rights to liberty, due process, freedom of expression, and freedom of association.