Journalist and wildlife photographer Hamed Tizrouyan, a biodiversity PhD student at Shahid Beheshti University and environmental activist from Mazandaran province, was arrested by Iranian security forces on May 4, 2026, in the northern city of Sari, according to multiple colleagues and local news reports.
Reports indicate that Tizrouyan was detained while participating in a project to build a ranger shelter in the Kiasar National Park area located in Mazandaran. His whereabouts and legal status remain unclear, and authorities have not publicly announced any charges against him or granted temporary release on bail.
Iranian environmental journalist Zeinab Rahimi wrote on Instagram on May 18 that “two weeks have passed since the arrest of this environmental activist, but he remains in detention, which has intensified concerns.” Rahimi said Tizrouyan was detained in Sari and that “no precise information is available regarding the reason for the arrest or the detaining authority.” She also reported that his “mobile phone and other electronic devices were confiscated on the day of his arrest.”
Rahimi noted that Tizrouyan’s Instagram account, which is now deactivated, had previously been suspended for several days in December 2025 “because of criticism of government officials over the handling of forest fires in the Elit forests of Mazandaran.”
Tizrouyan is known for documenting endangered Iranian wildlife species, including brown bears and red deer. Rahimi described “recording rare photographs of Iranian wildlife” as part of his professional work and said he had participated in the construction of “at least 10 ranger stations in the Hyrcanian forests.”