DEEP CONCERN OVER MULTIPLE ARRESTS OF WRITERS, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS IN IRAN, RELATED TO REPRESSION OF MASS PROTESTS SINCE SEPTEMBER

#PEN America is deeply concerned by reports of multiple arbitrary arrests of writers, creative artists, and former political prisoners in #Iran in recent weeks—including blogger Hossein Ronaghi and poet Atefeh Chaharmahalian—in the widespread repression of protesters supporting women’s rights and free expression, following the death of Mahsa (Jhina) Amini on September 16.

The government’s targeted arrests of #writers, #critics, and #journalists is part of a broad strategy seeking to control publishing, online speech, and the spread and exchange of information within and outside of Iran. Two weeks before the death of #MahsaAmini, Iranian authorities quietly passed three articles of the controversial Internet User Protection Bill, restricting access to and use of the internet even further despite “a high degree of opposition.” While Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have been banned in Iran for years, access to Instagram and WhatsApp was restricted across all major internet providers on September 21. In the following weeks, Netblocks documented internet disruptions in Zahedan, Sistan, Baluchestan, and Kurdistan Province. Mobile operators have also largely been shut down.

https://pen.org/press-release/deep-concern-over-multiple-arrests-of-writers-artists-musicians-in-iran-related-to-repression-of-mass-protests-since-september