Iranian Police Have Arrested Up to 21,000 “Suspects“ during the 12-day military conflict with Israel in June, state media reported, citing law enforcement spokesman Saeed Montazerolmahdi, News.bg reports.
Following the Israeli airstrikes that began on June 13, Iranian security forces launched a massive campaign of arrests, accompanied by an increased presence on the streets, increased control of checkpoints and “public reports“ calling on citizens to report individuals with “suspicious behavior“.
According to Montazerolmahdi, the number of reports from citizens has increased by 41%, leading to the detention of 21,000 people. He did not specify the specific charges, but Iranian authorities have previously said that some individuals had passed on information that aided Israeli attacks.
The conflict has also led to the accelerated deportation of Afghan migrants believed to be in Iran illegally. Humanitarian organizations say some of them have also been accused of spying for Israel. According to police data, 2,774 illegal migrants have been detained, 30 cases have been classified as “special security requirements” after their mobile phones were checked, and 261 people have been charged with espionage and 172 with unauthorized filming.
Montazerolmahdi did not say how many of those detained have been released. He added that during the conflict, police had processed over 5,700 cases of cybercrime, including online fraud and unauthorized withdrawals, describing the internet as an "important battlefront" in the war.