Intelligence Department Announces Arrest of 39 Protesters

By IranWire

October 19, 2026

According to the Tasnim News Agency, citing the General Directorate of Intelligence of Qazvin Province, 39 citizens have been arrested in connection with the January 2026 protests. The identities of those detained, their current locations, and the status of their legal cases remain unknown.

In a report that included no names or identifying details, the Qazvin Intelligence Department claimed that the detainees operated across eight separate groups and were involved in damaging and setting fire to residential homes, shops, banks, and a gas station on Babaei Street in Qazvin during the January demonstrations.

The security agency also accused 10 of the detainees of involvement in the deaths of several security force personnel. However, it presented no evidence to support the claim and failed even to name the government personnel allegedly killed.

In another portion of its report, the Qazvin Intelligence Department made allegations of links to the United States and Israel against the detainees, claiming to have discovered firearms, bladed weapons, and a quantity of alcoholic beverages.

Despite these grave allegations, security officials have neither announced the exact dates of the arrests nor provided any information regarding where the citizens are being held, their access to their families or legal counsel, or the status of any judicial proceedings.

The January 2026 protests across various Iranian cities were met with widespread government suppression and the arrest of numerous citizens. It remains unclear how long these 39 individuals have been in custody or whether the charges levelled against them have been reviewed by a judicial authority.

© IranWire 2026