Iranian security forces arrested Kurdish Iranian journalist Afshin Gholami on October 12, 2022.
Gholami is editor-in-chief of the online bi-weekly magazine Tafakor Enteghadi (“Critical Thinking”). He also provides commentary on Kurdish issues for Arabic and Kurdish TV channels based in Iraqi Kurdistan.
He was arrested in the city of Bukan in West Azerbaijan province, according to exile-based IranWire and a source with knowledge of the case who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.
According to the source, Gholami gave interviews to Iraqi Kurdish stations about Iran’s national protest movement in the period leading up to his arrest.
Protests in Iran began in mid-September following the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, after morality police arrested her for allegedly violating the country’s conservative dress law.
CPJ was unable to determine what, if any, charges the journalist faces, where he is held, or the status of his health in custody.
Authorities have arrested dozens of journalists in Iran as the protests over Amini’s death spread across the country. Several have since been released on bail.
CPJ emailed Iran’s mission to the United Nations in late 2022 for comment on the cases of imprisoned Iranian journalists but received no response.