The Islamic Republic of Iran has, since 1979 and the Iran hostage crisis, engaged in repeated detentions of foreign or dual nationals. These detentions have lasted for extended periods, with a documented history of using the detained party as a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations. The list below of current and former detainees in Iran excludes people abducted in other countries and brought into the country.
Hostage diplomacy
Since the Iran hostage crisis, the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in a pattern of detaining foreign nationals for extended periods. According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, the Iranian government has imprisoned dual and foreign-only nationals "as bargaining chips in its dealings with other nations." Iran's repeated dubious detention of dual citizens and thereafter bargaining behavior have led observers to qualify the practice as a policy of hostage diplomacy.
According to French ex-hostage Louis Arnaud, who spent two years in Iranian custody, those detained are usually kept in solitary confinement. In an interview, he said that "Everything is done so that you are deprived of your humanity".
Detainees Dual nationals of Iran and another country are particularly vulnerable to arbitrary detention because under the international Master Nationality Rule and treaty, "a State may not afford diplomatic protection to one of its nationals against a state whose nationality such person also possesses".
According to Human Rights Watch, "Iranian authorities have violated detainees' due process rights and carried out a pattern of politically motivated arrests." In November 2017, Reuters reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had arrested "at least 30 dual nationals during the past two years, mostly on spying charges."
Reactions In September 2019, on the sidelines of the Seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly, families of dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran as well former dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran launched the Alliance Against State Hostage Taking."
In January 2023, France called for the release of seven nationals, who were held in Iran. One of the detainees, Fariba Adelkhak was arrested in June 2019, along with her colleague Roland Marchal. While Marchal was released in 2020, Fraiban Adelkhak remained in prison until 2023.
Current foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran
Name Detained Citizenship Days in detention Reason for detention Notes France, Iran Sweden, Iran Canada, Iran In May 2017, he was convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison. Germany UK Australia, Iran After his arrest, he faced numerous charges, mostly consisting of "collaborating with a hostile foreign power." He spent approximately 2 years under interrogation in various solitary confinement locations in Tehran, including 209 solitary in Evin prison. He was convicted to more than 20 years of prison in total. As of mid-December 2025 he is still serving his term in Evin prison. Armenia He was accused of "engaging in deviant proselytising activity that contradicts the sacred law of Islam" and sentenced to 10 years of prison. As of mid-December 2025, he is kept in Evin prison. UK, Iran As of mid-December 2025, he is kept in Evin prison. USA, Iran A former journalist of "Radio Farda", he was accused of "cooperating with the hostile US government" and sentenced to 10 years in prison in January 2025. As of mid-December 2025, he is kept in Evin prison. UK, Iran He was accused of collaborating with MI6. As of mid-December 2025, he was kept in Evin prison. Germany He came to Iran in late 2024 seeking footage for his project about the deserts in the Middle East. He was arrested in Bandar Abbas and accused of "collaborating with a hostile foreign power". Until the beginning of October 2024, he was kept in the Bandar Abbas prison and was sentenced to 3 years of prison under espionage charges. He was then moved to Evin prison in Tehran. India He was arrested during a business trip to Iran and accused of spying for the United States. In November 2025, he was sentenced to 10 years of prison by judge Salavati. Craig ForemanJanuary 2025UK After entering Iran from Armenia in December 2025, he and his wife Lindsey were intending to cross from Iran into Pakistan in a short time, but they were arrested in the middle of the country (Kerman) in the beginning of January 2025. They were accused of spying for "hostile foreign powers". They were kept together in the Kerman prison until July 2025, when they were moved to Tehran and separated: first to Tehran Bozorg (Fashafouyeh) prison, then to Evin prison in August; here they were held in different sections. In September and October 2025, the couple got several court sessions with judge Salavati. In February 2026, they were sentenced to 10 years in prison.Lindsay ForemanJanuary 2025UK Russia He was arrested in Bandar Abbas while travelling in Iran. In February 2026, he was sentenced to 6 months for accusations of "taking photos of forbidden objects" (minimal term under the according article of the Penal code of Iran). Russia He was arrested in Shiraz during his trip to Iran for livestreaming protest demonstrations. Since his arrest, his location is unknown.
Armenian citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes Convicted of promoting a "soft" revolution in Iran on January 19, 2009, and sentenced to 3 years in prison. At the time of her arrest, Harotonian was an administrative officer for a maternal and child health project in Tehran for International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), a U.S. government-funded organization.
Australian citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes Jolie King Also holds British citizenship. Mark Firkin Iranian authorities have reportedly prevented her from leaving the country. Espionage Also holds British citizenship.
Austrian citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes
Azerbaijani citizens
+NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.Farid Safarli5 March 202318 January 2025685EspionageStudent at a German university at the time of his arrest. Travelled to Iran to meet his Iranian girlfriend, later arrested by the IRGC and held for 2 months in solitary confinement at the notorious Evin Prison. Farid Safarli's case has characteristics of a hostage situation. His detention came amid strained Azerbaijan-Iran relations early 2023, and his eventual release after almost 2 years was part of a prisoner exchange involving an Iranian spy held in Azerbaijan. This aligns with patterns seen in other cases where foreign nationals are detained in Iran under disputed charges to be used as a political bargaining chip.Rashid Aliyev5 October 200811 August 2010676EspionageRashid Aliyev travelled to Iran in 2006 to work for the Sazan Electronics Industry Company in the city of Semnan, east of Tehran. Two years later he was accused of sending information on laser technology and electronic schemes to Azerbaijan and sentenced to 3 years in prison.Khalida Khalid30 April 201319 May 201320EspionageShamkhal Huseynov30 April 201319 May 201320EspionageFarid Huseyn2 May 20124 September 2012126Propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iransentenced to 1 year in prisonhttps://www.azernews.az/nation/43339.htmlShahriyar del Gerani (Hajiyev)2 May 20124 September 2012126Propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iransentenced to 1 year in prisonValida Yusifova2021July 2023912Espionage
Belgian citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes Held in Evin Prison Held in Evin Prison Held in Evin Prison
British citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes Held in Evin prison on charges of blasphemy and cooperation with a hostile US government. Dr. Aebraham Diamond & Dr. Eleanor Abbott-Diamond Held in Evin prison for collaborating with hostile governments.Parents of Ana Diamond & Released on bail. Fled the regime. Conspiring with America Member of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national with US and UK citizenship.) Convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and sentenced to 12 years in prison. (parole within 300 metres of house) (part parole) Sentenced to 5 years for "plotting to topple the Iranian government". Iran (birth) / UK (2013) dual citizen 3284 Subject to travel ban after release. Unclear if she has been permitted to depart Iran. Also holds Greek citizenship. Flight engineer for Iran Air held without charge. British businessman who worked for Dutch-Iranian helicopter firm, accused of spying but never charged. Sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying.
Canadian citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes 8 February 2018 Died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Authorities say he committed suicide. In May 2017, convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison. Undisclosed "security" charges Before arrest, had been prevented from leaving country from March 2016. Sentenced to 19.5 years on "several national security, obscenity and religious insult charges in connection with his online activism." Died in custody as a result of torture. Plotting a "velvet revolution" 3 December 1986 67 Manager of oil services company, held in solitary confinement and interrogated at Evin Prison on ““Suspicion of espionage”’, never formally charged, and then released unharmed. Concessions were made by his employer on their contract for services with NIOC while he was detained.
Canadian permanent residents Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes Escaped Iran while on furlough from prison.
Dutch citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes May 2018 Arrested while participating in the 2009 Ashura protests. Charged with the capital crime of drug trafficking. Executed by hanging on 29 January 2011. Before arrest had been living in Iran for some time, working as a tour guide. Was accused of spying and sentenced to 10 years, was kept in Evin prison and released as part of a prisoner swap deal.
Finnish citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes Arbitrary detention, later falsely accused of espionage for "MI6, CIA, Mossad, and others." UK Permanent Resident at the time of arrest, as well as British naturalisation application in place. Subjected to travel ban shortly after her arrival in Iran in August 2014, ~500-days before her arrest in January 2016. Travel ban imposed again following her release from Evin prison on bail in August 2016. Acquitted of all charges in 2017 and travel ban lifted in May 2018.
French citizens
Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Notes October 2023 spying and propaganda, for flying a drone in an unauthorised area and making social media posts concerning Iranian law "signing an illegal mining contract and carrying out an unauthorized trip" Erin-Cambervelle is a businesswoman from the French Caribbean island of Martinique. Detained with German Donald Klein. Bernard Phelan3 October 2022221Providing information to an enemy countryFrench-Irish. Sentenced to 6.5 years in February 2023. Had previously been sentenced to 3.5 years, and told he would be pardoned. "attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran" "attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran" Was arrested in Shiraz during the Mahsa Amini protests and sentenced to 5 years under spying accusations. Served about 2 years in prison in Shiraz, then was moved to Evin prison in Tehran.Lennart Monterlos "arrested for committing a crime"