Another journalist has been arrested in Iran for reporting on protests against the Islamic system. The reform-oriented “Hammihan” newspaper reported on Friday in the Telegram news channel that Elahe Mohammadi was initially summoned by the judicial authorities on Thursday, but was arrested on the way there.
The Iranian Journalists Association has repeatedly called for the immediate release of all local reporters who are being held in custody for reporting on the protests. There are no precise figures on the number of journalists arrested and detained, but the number is said to be in the dozens.
According to the Iranian judiciary, any support for and reports about the protests can lead to further riots and can therefore also be construed as a criminal offence. The journalists’ association vehemently rejects this, arguing that the journalists were just doing their jobs. Furthermore, these arrests and detentions are highly damaging to the image of Iranian media.
Protests after Mahsa Amini’s death
The ongoing protests were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The moral police had arrested her because of her allegedly “un-Islamic outfit”. What exactly happened to Amini after her arrest is unclear. The young woman fell into a coma and died in a hospital on September 16. Critics accuse the morality police of using violence. The police firmly deny the allegations. Since then, people across the country have been demonstrating against the repressive course of the Islamic system.
According to their lawyer, the Amini family has filed a criminal complaint against the police officers who arrested and questioned their daughter. According to media reports, lawyer Saleh Nikbacht has demanded that the judicial authority inspect the files and access the police videos. The Amini family has not yet confirmed the information provided by the lawyer.
