Bitcoin Advocate Ziya Sadr Arrested by Iranian Security Forces

Ziya Sadr, an Iranian Bitcoin advocate, was arrested by Iranian security forces last month, according to multiple sources.

Nima Yazdanmehr, who said he is a friend of Sadr, told CoinDesk the arrest took place on the streets of Tehran on Sep. 19 and that Sadr has not been released. The arrest came amid widespread anti-government protests over the state killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Sadr is a popular Bitcoin educator and YouTuber, as well as an advocate for the technology. He has translated Bitcoin content into Farsi and promoted privacy-focused ways to use bitcoin for personal transactions.

Sadr is currently being held in Fashafouyeh Prison and remains in contact with his family and close friends, according to Yazdanmehr.

Sadr is just one of thousands of Iranian citizens and activists to be detained by the Iranian government in the weeks following the protests. It is not known if the Iranian government’s interest in Sadr is related to his Bitcoin advocacy, though multiple sources told CoinDesk Sadr was not protesting at the time of his arrest.

Sadr was set to be released on bail Sunday, but mass arrests from the protests have caused bail requests across Iran to be delayed, according to Yazdanmerh.

Sadr’s Twitter account was recently deactivated by a trusted party for his own safety, according to Yazdanmerh.

This is a developing story.

UPDATE (Oct. 9, 2022, 20:01 UTC): Adds that Sadr's Twitter account was deactivated.