Iran freezes accounts and seizes property of hundreds of dissidents amid protest crackdown

Iran's judicial system has moved to confiscate assets and block the bank accounts of 240 individuals it labels as acting for hostile governments, affecting journalists, activists and public figures. Among the frozen accounts, 143 were in Tehran, and the seizures include property belonging to Sadegh Saeedi-nia, an entrepreneur sentenced in a high-profile case. Police chief Ahmadreza Radan said the security forces have arrested over 6,000 people in connection with the January protests and recently detained three members of the exiled Mojahedin-e Khalq.

The authorities claim the arrests aim to prevent a repeat of unrest during the Chaharshanbe Suri fire festival. Iran Human Rights reports that at least 532 people have been executed since January, including 29 linked to the protests. The judiciary has also made more than 2,000 inquiries to the Central Bank about defendants' accounts and warned that more asset seizures are forthcoming.