Dariush Rafiee Taghanki was arrested after four months in hiding on April 30, 2026, during a raid by government forces in Orumiyeh, Iran. He is a former political prisoner and a member of the Qashqai Turk community.
Taghanki’s arrest raises concerns about the Iranian judiciary’s treatment of political prisoners. Authorities have not disclosed any information regarding the arresting body, his place of detention, or the charges against him.
Separately, Iran executed two men—Nasser Bakerzadeh and Yaghoub Karimpour—on May 2, 2026. These executions occurred without notifying their families or lawyers, highlighting ongoing human rights violations within the country.
The circumstances of Bakerzadeh’s execution are particularly striking; his death sentence had been overturned twice by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Karimpour faced severe pressure to produce forced confessions during his trial, which lasted only 15 minutes.
Both men were transferred to solitary confinement before their executions. Karimpour described spending more than two months at the Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Orumiyeh under inhumane conditions.
Human rights advocates have condemned these actions as emblematic of a broader pattern of repression against dissent in Iran. The Iranian authorities continue to face scrutiny for their handling of political prisoners and the lack of transparency surrounding judicial processes.
Freya Donnelly is the Sports Reporter at News-UK, covering tennis, cricket and athletics with seven years of reporting experience. She reported on Team GB through an Olympic cycle. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Brighton and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Brighton, she plays club cricket in the summer. “Listening is the most underrated skill in sports reporting.”
