Iranian journalists on Sunday denounced the arrests of several colleagues as protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini entered a seventh week.
Amini died in custody on September 16 after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of Iran’s strict dress rules for women.
Dozens of people, mainly demonstrators but also members of the security forces, have been killed during the demonstrations, described as ‘riots’ by the authorities, and hundreds more have been arrested.
Reformist daily Sazandegi said Sunday that ‘more than 20 journalists are still in detention’, both in the capital Tehran as well as other cities.
Several others have been summoned by the authorities for questioning, the newspaper added.
More than 300 Iranian journalists and photojournalists signed a statement to criticise the authorities for ‘arresting colleagues and stripping them of their civil rights after their detentions’, according to local media.
‘They did not have access to their lawyers, they were interrogated and charged before holding a public hearing,’ the statement added, calling for the journalists to be released.
In a statement published in the Etemad newspaper, the Tehran journalists’ association dismissed the ‘security approach’ as ‘illegal’ and ‘in conflict with press freedom’.
The union referred to a report by the security services released on Friday into the origins of the protest movement, which pointed the finger at ‘interventions of the American regime in the recent riots’.
The security report accused Westerners of having organised ‘training courses’ for Iranians with the aim of changing power in Tehran.
Meanwhile, prime minister Justin Trudeau marched with protesters in the Canadian capital of Ottawa Saturday in support of demonstrations that have swept Iran for more than 40 days.
‘The women in Iran, daughters and the grandmothers and the allies they are not forgotten,’ Trudeau said, standing in front of a white banner covered with dozens of red hand prints.
‘We will stand with you. I’ll march with you, I will hold hands with you. We will continue to stand with this beautiful community,’ Trudeau said, before ending his speech by shouting Persian slogans, his fist raised.
The prime minister’s wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, also joined the protest, saying, ‘I stand with you because when one woman’s right is being denied, it is a sign of disrespect for all women.’
‘And we will leave no sister behind.’
Trudeau highlighted several rounds of sanctions imposed by the Canadian government against senior Iranian officials over the last month, levied due to the regime’s ‘gross and systematic human rights violations.’
Amini supporters also attended rallies in other Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, where marchers formed human chains.
And thousands also protested Saturday in Paris and throughout France.
