Iranian activist freed after 17 months in ICE detention following bond fundraising campaign
May 18, 2026·Location: New Jersey, NJ
Country of origin: Iran

Mojtaba, an Iranian national who fled persecution for his participation in the Women, Life, Freedom movement, was released from ICE detention after 17 months. A federal judge ordered a bond hearing following a habeas petition filed by his attorney, Rachel Marandett of the American Friends Service Committee, after the government could not prove he posed a danger or flight risk. An immigration judge then set bond at $35,000, which hundreds of individuals and organizations helped raise. Mojtaba, who was held at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, is now building a life in New Jersey.
Sources
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