Press release of 26, Juni 2025
PEN Berlin concerned by arrest of Daniel Moghaddam
PEN Berlin is deeply concerned about the re-arrest of rapper Daniel Moghaddam by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Moghaddam had already been sentenced to one year in prison in 2024 for »propaganda against the system«. After two months, he was released on bail, but is now back in pre-trial detention.
On 25 June 2025, Daniel Moghaddam was arrested in Tehran; the reason for this arrest is still unclear. He has repeatedly criticised the mullah regime in his songs and videos, and has spoken out in support of families whose relatives were killed in the »Woman, Life, Freedom« protests in 2022. »The regime is now cracking down even more brutally on its own people«, said Daniela Sepehri, PEN Berlin board member. »It is using the shadow of war to fight its own people with even more ferocity. This is now escalating. The state is determined to nip any form of criticism in the bud.«
Since the Israeli attack on 13 June 2025, the Iranian regime has carried out at least 286 arrests for critical social media posts, according to the human rights organisation HRANA. A further 537 people have been detained on trumped-up security charges, such as ‘spying for Israel«.
Since the ceasefire came into effect, users of digital media such as Instagram, Telegram and X have received messages from the Iranian regime stating that they will be prosecuted for following or liking pages critical of the government or »pro-Israeli«, and that their activities have been registered. Users are being asked to delete comments and unfollow these pages; otherwise, they will face prosecution under Article 8 of the Law on Combating Enemy Acts.
PEN Berlin is calling for the immediate release of Danial Moghaddam and all other writers, artists and activists imprisoned in Iran. Freedom of expression is a human right.
PEN Berlin. We stand by our word.