Iranian security forces arrested Iranian journalist Mohammad Zare-Foumani on October 9, 2022.
Zare-Foumani is the publisher of state-run newspaper Sedaye Eslahat, where he also serves as a columnist. The newspaper covered protests following the September 16 death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, after morality police arrested her for allegedly violating the country’s conservative dress law. Zare-Foumani also commented on the protests on his Instagram page.
In a video on Instagram, the journalist describes being summoned to the Intelligence Ministry on October 9. Text accompanying the video indicates that the journalist was taken to ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran after he appeared at the Intelligence Ministry that day. The text says he was allowed to make a brief phone call to his family before being sent to solitary confinement.
CPJ has documented the arrests of dozens of journalists as the protests over Amini’s death spread across the country. Several of them were later 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.