Addressed to: The Judiciary and other responsible authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran
September 8, 2026
We, the undersigned, condemn the arrest of Milad Balessini, a journalist and Azerbaijani Turk civil rights activist, and the fabrication of a national security case against him. We call for his immediate and unconditional release.
Milad Balessini was arrested on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after appearing before Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tabriz. He was detained at the request of the security agency handling his case and placed under a thirty-day temporary detention order. He is currently being held at the Tabriz Intelligence Department detention center.
Despite repeated inquiries from his family, the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office has refused to provide any information about his physical or psychological condition, the circumstances of his detention, or the status of his case. His family has reportedly been told that the authorities are not permitted to disclose any information about him. This refusal has left his family in a state of profound anxiety and uncertainty.
The accusations against Balessini include “propaganda against the state,” “providing information to hostile media,” and, under wartime conditions, “collaborating with hostile governments against national security.” These vague, sweeping security charges stem from a case brought against him by the Tabriz Intelligence Department. They must not be used to suppress his peaceful civil, cultural, and identity-based activities.
Civil activism is not a crime. Neither is defending the linguistic and cultural rights of Azerbaijan’s Turk population, reporting information, or peacefully expressing one’s views. The use of national security charges against Azerbaijani civil society activists is part of a deeply troubling pattern in which peaceful advocacy is criminalized and voices calling for fundamental rights in Azerbaijan are silenced.
Balessini has previously faced pressure, summonses, and interrogation by security agencies. Years ago, while studying for a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Maragheh, he served as managing editor of the student publication Elin. His student activities and work on the publication led to its suspension and to his temporary suspension from university by the disciplinary committee. In recent years, he has continued working in Azerbaijan as a journalist and environmental activist.
His continued detention at the Tabriz Intelligence Department, beyond public scrutiny and without transparent communication with his family, raises serious concerns about his safety, health, and access to his legal rights.
Under Article 32 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the charges against an arrested person and the reasons for their arrest must be communicated to them immediately and in writing. Article 49 of Iran’s Code of Criminal Procedure also gives the close relatives of a person in custody the right to be informed of their situation and requires the responsible authorities to respond to their inquiries. The Prosecutor’s Office’s complete refusal to provide Balessini’s family with any information is a clear violation of these legal protections.
Milad Balessini is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until the charges against him are proven before a competent and independent court through fair proceedings. Temporary detention must not become a form of punishment before trial or a means of exerting pressure on a civil society activist.
We, the undersigned, call on the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to:
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Release Milad Balessini immediately and unconditionally;
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End the Tabriz Intelligence Department’s fabrication of security cases and its use of national security charges against him;
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Immediately provide his family with an official account of his physical and psychological condition and the circumstances of his detention;
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Guarantee his prompt and unhindered access to a lawyer of his choosing and his right to a fair defense;
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Protect him from all forms of pressure, threats, abuse, humiliation, torture, or coercion to extract a confession;
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End the criminalization of the peaceful civil, cultural, linguistic, and identity-based activities of Azerbaijani Turk activists.
We also call on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and all human rights organizations to investigate Milad Balessini’s situation without delay and press for his release and an end to the fabrication of national security cases against Azerbaijani Turk activists.
Civil activism is not a crime. Defending one’s language, identity, and cultural rights is not a crime.
Release Milad Balessini immediately and unconditionally!
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