List of foreign nationals detained in Iran

Hostage diplomacy

Detainees

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Current foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran

Armenian citizens

Australian citizens

Azerbaijani citizens

Belgian citizens

British citizens

Canadian citizens

Dutch citizens

Finnish citizens

French citizens

German citizens

Italian citizens

Lebanese citizens

Russian citizens

Swedish citizens

South African citizens

United States citizens

Iran hostage crisis detainees (19791981)

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.

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".

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 had arrested "at least 30 dual nationals during the past two years, mostly on spying charges."

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.

Name	Detained	Citizenship	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes	-
		France, Iran				-
		Sweden, Iran				-
		Canada, Iran		In May 2017, convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison.		-
		Germany				-
		UK				-
		Australia, Iran		After arrest was facing numerous charges, mostly consisting of "collaborating with a hostile foreign power". Spent around 2 years under interrogation in various solitary confinements in Tehran, including 209 solitary in Evin prison. Was convicted to more than 20 years of prison confinement in total, as at mid-December 2025 was serving his term in Evin prison.
		Armenia		Was accused of "engaging in deviant proselytising activity that contradicts the sacred law of Islam" and sentenced to 10 years of prison. As at mid-December 2025, was kept in Evin prison.
		UK, Iran		As at mid-December 2025, was kept in Evin prison.
		USA, Iran		Former journalist of "Radio Farda", was accused of "cooperating with the hostile US government" and sentenced to 10 years in prison in January 2025. As at mid-December 2025, was kept in Evin prison.
		UK, Iran		Was accused of collaborating with MI6. As at mid-December 2025, was kept in Evin prison.
		Germany		Came to Iran in late 2024 for making footage for his project about the deserts in the Middle East. Was arrested in Bandar Abbas and accused of "collaborating with a hostile foreign power". Till the beginning of October 2024 was kept in the Bandar Abbas prison and was sentenced to 3 years of prison under the espionage charges, then was moved to Evin prison in Tehran.
		India		Was arrested during business trip to Iran and accused of spying for USA. In November 2025 was sentenced to 10 years of prison by judge Salavati.
Craig Foreman	January 2025	UK		After entering Iran from Armenia in December 2024 he with his wife Lindsey were intending to cross Iran to Pakistan in a short time, but were arrested in the middle of the country in the beginning of January 2025 and accused of spying for "hostile foreign powers". They were kept together in the Kerman prison till July 2025, when there were moved to Tehran and separated - first to Tehran Bozorg prison, then to Evin prison, where they were held in different sections. In September and October 2025 couple got several court sessions with judge Salavati, but as at mid-December 2025 they still haven't got any conviction.		-
Lindsay Foreman	January 2025	UK				-

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, a U.S. government-funded organization.

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.

Azerbaijan-Iran relations

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes	Ref.
Farid Safarli	5 March 2023	18 January 2025	685	Espionage	Student 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 Aliyev	5 October 2008	11 August 2010	676	Espionage	Rashid 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 Khalid	30 April 2013	19 May 2013	20	Espionage
Shamkhal Huseynov	30 April 2013	19 May 2013	20	Espionage
Farid Huseyn	2 May 2012	4 September 2012	126	Propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran	sentenced to 1 year in prison
Shahriyar del Gerani	2 May 2012	4 September 2012	126	Propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran	sentenced to 1 year in prison
Valida Yusifova	2021	July 2023	912	Espionage

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.
				Convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
				Sentenced to 5 years for "plotting to topple the Iranian government".	Iran / UK 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Phelan	3 October 2022		221	Providing information to an enemy country	French-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"

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes

				Initially sentenced to death for having illicit sexual relations with an Iranian woman.



				Journalistic activity criticizing the Islamic regime for 16 years	German citizen and US national. Jimmy was kidnapped on a business trip to India and taken to Iran. He has spent the entire detention at an unknown location, in solitary confinement and after what Amnesty International calls a sham trial condemned to death.
					on 4 June 2023, Marges Mohammadi wrote on Instagram that Taghavi's state of health is so bad that her life is in danger.
				Was arrested in Markazi province after accidentally entering a town forbidden for visiting by foreigners. Was sentenced to 2 years under accusations of "taking photos of forbidden objects" and was kept for some time in prison in Arak, then was moved to Evin prison in Tehran.

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes
					Permanent resident of the U.S. at time of arrest.

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes

				Was accused of "gathering information in order to harm Iran's security" in favor of Israel. During the interrogation his accusation was changed to "taking photos of prohibited places", he was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Then, due to his acceptance of the conviction, his sentence was reduced to 2 years 3 months. Then, in September 2025 got an amnesty; as a result, his sentence became 17 months. Finally was released at 15 December 2025 on condition

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes
			-	Accused of espionage.

					Death sentence upheld by Iranian supreme court March 2023.
				Accused of espionage.
				Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
				Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Reason for detention	Notes
				Member of [September 2023 Iran–United States prisoner release\|] in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. Had been sentenced to 10 years in January 2021. Had previously been cleared in December 2019.		-

				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.


					Released on bail but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran.
					Released during the Mahsa Amini protests
				Espionage	Member of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets.
Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari



				propaganda against the regime	41 days in solidarity confinement
					Azadeh was released from detention to house arrest from September 2012 – November 2012. She was not permitted to leave the country until May 2013.





					Momeni was released on bail in November 2008 but she was not permitted to leave Iran until August 2009.





		Presumed dead 25 March 2020	>		U.S. agent working for the CIA who disappeared on Kish Island. Proof of life in captivity in an unknown location was received in November 2010, but Iran has never acknowledged his arrest or detention; he was presumed dead in March 2020.

					Dual U.S.-Swiss citizen. Arrested with South African Stuart Timm.
					Wall Street Journal reporter who had been visiting Iran with a group of journalists.
				Sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1987 for espionage.

Abbas Alizadeh	May 2021	19 August 2021		Espionage	House arrest. Released in return for Elamite tablets.

Days in detention

Reason for detention

Held in Evin Prison

Held in Evin Prison

Held in Evin Prison

Name	Detained	Released	Days in detention	Notes
				Civilian. Freelance writer convicted on trumped-up charges of espionage and other crimes
				Civilian



















				American Foreign Service officer




				American diplomat



				American diplomat









				Civilian










				American diplomat

				American diplomat