What it means
دستگیری (dastgiri) is the standard Persian word for arrest or the act of being apprehended by police or security forces. It is a native Persian compound built from دست (dast, meaning hand) and گیری (giri, from the verb گرفتن, to take or seize), so it literally carries the sense of being physically taken hold of. The word sits at a neutral register, used comfortably in news reports, everyday conversation, and formal legal documents alike. A close synonym in more formal legal writing is توقیف (towqif, Arabic origin), which can also mean seizure of property, so context usually clarifies the meaning.
How to use it
- پلیس سه نفر را دستگیر کرد. (polis se nafar râ dastgir kard.) “The police arrested three people.”
- خبر دستگیری مظنون اصلی همه را شوکه کرد. (khabar-e dastgiri-ye maznun-e asli hame râ shoke kard.) “The news of the main suspect’s arrest shocked everyone.”
- بعد از دستگیری، حق داری با وکیلت صحبت کنی. (ba’d az dastgiri, haq dari bâ vakilat sohbat koni.) “After the arrest, you have the right to speak with your lawyer.”
- دستگیری اون آدم خیلی وقت طول کشید. (dastgiri-ye oun âdam kheyli vaqt tul keshid.) “Catching that person took a very long time.”
Cultural note
In Iran, news of high-profile dastgiri events, particularly arrests involving political figures or activists, frequently circulates on social media and Persian-language satellite news channels before official state media confirms them. The word itself carries no political charge, but the context in which it is used often does. Iranians living abroad follow dastgiri reports closely as a barometer of internal security conditions. The compound structure of the word, hand plus seizing, is a good example of how Persian forms abstract legal nouns from very concrete physical imagery.