According to information obtained by IranWire, the first court hearing in the case of Milad Shahbazi and three other mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes, who had been detained since February, was held on June 5. Since then, there has been no information regarding Milad Shahbazi’s situation.
Milad Shahbazi was initially arrested on February 13, 2026, during a raid by intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Gilan Province. He was temporarily released on bail in April pending his trial.
The athlete and three other individuals were detained on charges of “acting against national security” for participating in the protests of January 8 and 9 in the city of Rasht.
Informed sources state that following the first court session on June 5, the other defendants were released under their previous bail conditions. However, for reasons that remain unclear, Milad Shahbazi was taken into custody right after the court hearing and transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.
Milad’s friends and family have been left in complete ignorance regarding his condition since then, a situation that has caused them severe anxiety.
Despite repeated visits by his family to judicial and security authorities, no information is currently available about the status of the young athlete or the grounds for his re-arrest.