Security forces arrest doctors and nurses treating injured protesters in Iran’s 2026 protests. Raids on hospitals and pressure to deny care raise serious human rights concerns.
Iran Human Rights Society, Monday, February 2, 2026 – Amid the ongoing nationwide protests of 2026, a new wave of arrests targeting doctors and nurses has been reported. This has been accompanied by direct pressure on medical staff to avoid treating the injured, raising serious human rights concerns.
Publication of Reports on Detained Medical Personnel
The newspaper Shargh on Monday, February 2, 2026, published a report titled “The Uncertain Fate of Detained Medical Staff,” revealing the identities of 25 arrested doctors and nurses. According to the report, these arrests occurred following the nationwide protests that began in January 2026 (Dey 1404), with only two individuals recently released on bail. This list represents the first comprehensive report on the extent of security measures against medical staff across various cities.
Security Raids on Hospitals
In the most recent case, security forces raided Al-Zahra State Hospital and arrested two nurses from the facility, Malek Shahbazi and Davoud Zamani. Reports indicate that since January 8, 2026 (18 Dey), military personnel and plainclothes agents have repeatedly raided hospitals or the homes of doctors and nurses. These raids have involved interrogations, temporary or prolonged detentions, and the creation of an atmosphere of fear.
Additionally, constant monitoring of hospital CCTV cameras has been reported. According to informed sources, this is aimed at identifying medical staff who provided services to injured protesters from the nationwide demonstrations.
Arrests of Doctors and Transfers to Unknown Locations
In Isfahan, Dr. Babak Zarabian, an infectious disease specialist at Milad Hospital, has been detained since January 14, 2026 (24 Dey). Reports suggest he was transferred to warehouses behind Handgard Prison. In recent days, at least seven hospitals in the city—Milad, Amin, Kashani, Sepahan, Ibn Sina, Dr. Gharazi, and Saadi—have been raided, fully securitizing the medical environment.
Continued Secret Treatment Despite Pressures
Despite the intense security-military atmosphere dominating hospitals, reports indicate that some doctors and nurses have continued to provide essential medical services secretly. These efforts have included emergency surgeries and urgent treatments to save the lives of citizens injured by gunfire and attacks from repressive forces during the suppression of the nationwide protests.
These actions have occurred under direct pressure to refrain from treating the injured, with medical staff facing the risk of arrest and security reprisals.
Extensive List of Detainees
According to published information, the arrested doctors and nurses come from various cities. In Tehran, names include Amir Khosravani, Amir Poursaleh, Fatemeh Afshari, Golnar Naraqi, Alireza Rezaei, Sobhan Esmaeilpour, and Babak Pouramin. In Isfahan, Hossein Zarabian, Malek Shahbazi, and Davoud Zamani have been arrested.
Additionally, Ameneh Silmani and Mohammad Ali Jafari Zare in Ardabil; Shamsi Abbas Ali Zadeh in Tabriz; Masoud Ebadi Fard and Parisa Parkar in Qazvin; Sobhan Esmaeil Doost in Rasht; Moein Moradian, Asghar Shakri, and Ghazal Omid in Abdanan; Mohebat Ghafoori in Lar, Fars; Saber Dehghan in Sirjan; Ahmad Zaini, Hossein Karami, Ehsan Ahmadi, and Ahmad Khosravi in Dehloran; and Fariba Hosseini in Shiraz are among those detained.
Response from the Medical Council
The head of the Medical Council has claimed that the arrests of these individuals were not solely due to medical actions. Without providing specific evidence, he denied any link between the arrests and treatment of the injured from the nationwide protests. This position is stated despite field reports indicating direct pressure on medical staff to refrain from treating injured protesters.
Hippocratic Oath and Professional Responsibility
Under the Hippocratic Oath, doctors and medical staff are obligated to assist any patient or injured person without discrimination. This fundamental principle is defined independently of political or security conditions, and preventing treatment constitutes a clear violation of professional medical commitments. Pressure to prohibit treatment directly endangers human lives.
Crimes Against Humanity and the Need for Prosecution
The deliberate deprivation of injured individuals from medical services can, according to international human rights standards, fall under crimes against humanity. Legal experts emphasize that perpetrators and those ordering such actions must face international judicial pursuit. Documenting these arrests and pressures on medical staff is an essential step toward accountability and preventing recurrence.
Human Rights Violations in the Arrest of Medical Staff Amid Nationwide Protests
The arrests of doctors and nurses, raids on hospitals, and pressure to refrain from treating injured protesters from the nationwide demonstrations indicate systematic human rights violations. These actions seriously infringe on both the personal security of medical staff and citizens’ right to access medical services.
- Violation of Article 9 of the International – Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Right to Liberty and Security of Person: Arbitrary detention of doctors and nurses, transfer to unknown locations, and legal uncertainty without transparent notification to families.
- Violation of Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – Right to Health: Preventing treatment of the injured and applying pressure to abandon care constitutes deliberate deprivation of vital medical services.
- Violation of the Principle of Medical Neutrality in International Humanitarian Law: Security interference in the treatment process and threats to medical staff for fulfilling their professional and humanitarian duties.
See also the below articles:
- Arrest of Dr. Alireza Rezaei coincides with security pressures on medical staff in suppressing nationwide protests in 2015
- Arrested Individuals in the Nationwide Protests of 2026, List of Names of 200 People + Photos
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