Sara Gowhari, a 29-year-old Afghan citizen and sociology student at the University of Tehran, was arrested on July 6, 2025 near the Taybad border region by Iranian security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.
According to sources close to her family, the arrest was carried out by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, without presenting an arrest warrant or official documentation from the Judiciary.
Prior to her detention, Sara Gowhari had posted on her personal Instagram account about a planned independent research trip to the border region of Taybad. Her project aimed to document the lived experiences of Afghan migrants through interviews and personal narratives, shedding light on the realities of life along the Iran-Afghanistan border.
More than ten days after her arrest, Sara Gowhari remains deprived of her most basic legal rights, including access to legal counsel and the ability to contact her family.
Despite repeated inquiries, her family has received no official information about her whereabouts, physical condition, or any charges brought against her.
Her arrest is considered as part of Iranian regime’s ongoing policy of repression and intimidation targeting Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.
