Iran seizes assets of 240 dissidents and journalists as protest arrests top 6,000

Iran's judiciary has seized assets belonging to 240 dissidents, journalists and public figures and frozen 182 bank accounts, according to a report by the judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency. The measures were announced as Police Chief Ahmadreza Radan said more than 6,000 people had been arrested over the January protests. The reported seizures were concentrated in Tehran, where 143 of the cases took place.

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Mizan said those targeted were accused of propaganda activities or actions against the country and in favour of hostile governments. It said some of the assets belonged to journalists working for Persian-language opposition broadcasters Iran International and Manoto, as well as activists and public figures living abroad. The report also said the judiciary had made more than 2,000 inquiries to Iran's Central Bank regarding defendants' accounts and warned that further seizures and proceedings were under way.

The crackdown appears to be part of a wider security response to the unrest that followed the January protests. Radan said his forces had arrested three members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq, an exiled Iranian opposition organisation, in an operation the previous night. He also said security forces had prevented the Persian fire festival Chaharshanbe Suri from being used to trigger further unrest.

His comments suggest authorities remain focused on preventing renewed mobilisation around public gatherings and opposition activity. The asset seizures and arrests are significant because they show the authorities are using both criminal and financial measures against people they accuse of supporting dissent. Freezing bank accounts and confiscating property can have a wider chilling effect on journalists, activists and families linked to opposition figures.

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The reported actions also underline the continuing sensitivity around the January protests, which Iranian officials have described as a coup attempt. The case of Sadegh Saeedi-nia, described by Iranian media as an entrepreneur, was among the most high-profile proceedings mentioned in the report. Mizan said his property was confiscated and that he received a custodial sentence.

The report also said the judiciary was still pursuing additional cases, indicating the campaign is not yet complete. What remains unclear is how many of the arrests and seizures are directly linked to the January protests, and how many are tied to broader allegations of opposition activity. It is also not clear how many of those targeted are inside Iran and how many are living abroad.

The next developments to watch are whether the judiciary announces further confiscations, whether more arrests follow, and whether the Central Bank inquiries lead to additional account freezes.

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