Journalist and wildlife photographer Hamed Tizrouyan was arrested by Iranian security forces on May 4, 2026, in the northern city of Sari, according to several colleagues and local news reports, and released on bail from Sari Central Prison on June 8.
Tizrouyan, a PhD student in biodiversity at Shahid Beheshti University and environmental activist from the northern Mazandaran province, was reportedly detained while taking part in a project to build a shelter for rangers in Kiasar National Park, in Mazandaran.
For over a month, his whereabouts and legal status remained unclear, and authorities did not publicly announce any charges against him or grant temporary release on bail.
On May 18, Iranian environmental journalist Zeinab Rahimi wrote on Instagram that two weeks had passed since the arrest, and that he remained in detention, “which has intensified concerns.” Rahimi added that there was “no precise information” on why Tizrouyan had been arrested, and that his mobile phone and other electronic devices had been confiscated on the day of the arrest.
Rahimi noted that Tizrouyan’s Instagram account, which had been deactivated, had previously been suspended for several days in December 2025 due to the photojournalist’s “criticism of government officials over the handling of forest fires in the Elit forests of Mazandaran.”
Tizrouyan is known for documenting endangered wildlife in Iran, 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,” in Kiasar National Park.
On June 8, 2026, after 35 days in detention, Rahimi told CPJ that Tizrouyan had been released from Sari Central Prison on bail.
CPJ’s email to the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York requesting comment did not receive a response.