Ali Alinejad is the brother of Iranian‑American women’s rights defender Masih Alinejad and a non‑activist civilian detained by Iranian authorities in reprisal for his sister’s activism. On 23 or 24 September 2019, intelligence agents arrested him at his home in Tehran, blindfolded and handcuffed him, confiscated his cellphone and computer then transferred him to an undisclosed location. He was questioned about his sister’s online campaigns and her overseas activism. Human rights organisations condemned the arrest as a deliberate attempt to intimidate Masih Alinejad, exemplifying a broader pattern of hostage‑taking of activists’ family members. After months in custody he was sentenced by a revolutionary court in mid‑July 2020 to eight years in prison under charges including “assembly and collusion against national security”, “insulting the Supreme Leader” and “propaganda against the state”, although under Iranian law only the longest sentence applies (resulting in an eight‑year term).