Iran has arrested 35 journalists since start of Mahsa Amini protests, CPJ says

Iranian authorities have arrested at least 35 journalists amid widespread demonstrations following the death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has published a list of those arrested on its website, updated as of Tuesday, relying on its own local sources, news reports, and the Tehran Journalists Association.

Some of the media workers are freelancers, while others work for outlets ranging from semi-official news agency Mehr to business newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad.

"Details of those arrested are sparse amid an internet blackout and major disruptions to phone and social media networks," the CPJ tweeted on Tuesday.

It said just one of the media workers is known to have been released.

Those detained include photojournalists, commentators and political journalists.

The reasons for the media workers' arrests are often not provided, although some were listed as having been detained at their homes.

Mojtaba Rahimi was detained "following tweets about several protesters killed in and around his hometown", the CPJ said.

The CPJ's list includes a note saying it will be regularly updated to document "known arrests and releases".

Mahsa Amini, 22, whose Kurdish name can be spelled "Zhina" or "Jina", died in police custody on 16 September.

She was arrested in Tehran by the morality police on 13 September for allegedly not wearing her hijab 'correctly'.

🇮🇷 Schoolgirls across #Iran have been at the forefront of the anti-government protests that have swept through the country since 22-year-old Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini died in police custody. These videos show unprecedented events in Iran. #MahsaAmini
📹 @alexander_durie pic.twitter.com/Ewer463cAv

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) October 5, 2022

Amini went into a coma in detention and died at a hospital in the Iranian capital.

Among those on the CPJ's arrest list is Niloofar Hamedi, who the IranWire news website said was one of the first reporters to cover Amini's hospitalisation.

The authorities, who are accused of beating her, maintain she died from natural causes.

Amini's death has prompted widespread outrage, with protests sweeping Iran.

Demonstrations have also been seen in Iraqi Kurdistan's capital Erbil and Western cities like London and Rome.