Iranian security forces arrest a woman for eating at restaurant in public without her hijab, family says

CNN
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Iranian safety forces arrested a girl after a photograph of her and one other girl consuming at a Tehran restaurant with out their head scarves was broadly circulated on-line, her household mentioned Friday. The picture emerged Wednesday displaying the 2 girls having breakfast at a restaurant that, like most coffeehouses in Iran, is historically patronized by males.

One of many girls within the picture, Donya Rad, was arrested shortly after the picture was printed on-line. CNN spoke along with her sister who mentioned safety companies contacted Donya and summoned her to clarify her actions.

“After visiting the designated place she was arrested, after just a few hours of no information, Donya informed me in a brief name that she was transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Jail,” her sister informed CNN. Tehran’s Evin Jail is a notoriously brutal facility the place the regime incarcerates political dissidents and is solely designated for prisoners managed by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry.

CNN has reached out to Iranian authorities concerning the alleged arrests.

In latest days, safety forces have reportedly detained a number of influential Iranians, together with author and poet Mona Borzouei, Iranian soccer participant Hossein Mahini, and the daughter of former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Faezeh Rafsanjani.

Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour was additionally arrested this week after releasing a poignant tune primarily based on tweets shared by Iranians expressing sentiments of why individuals are protesting, in line with NGO Iran Human Rights.

Hajipour’s tune “For…” went viral on-line, receiving hundreds of thousands of views and is being shared broadly amongst Iranians each inside and out of doors of the nation.

On the quilt of state-aligned newspaper Hamshahri each day on Thursday, the headline learn “Celebrities of Disturbance” with an image of former soccer participant Ali Karimi standing alongside notable Iranian actors and actresses who’ve been vocal in supporting the protests. The article says they “are one of many fundamental causes for latest well-liked protests.”

“We aren’t those inflicting the disturbances. We’re a drop from the folks,” Iranian Actor Ehsan Karamy mentioned in an Instagram put up addressing claims made by authorities. “Don’t mislead the folks. Go after the hardliners who’ve supplied the firewood for this hearth piece by piece.”

The federal government crackdown has continued after nearly two weeks of protests, with dozens dying in clashes between safety forces. Iran Human Rights estimates that not less than 83 folks together with youngsters, are confirmed to have been killed in protests following the loss of life of Mahsa Amini.

Greater than a thousand folks related to the protests have been detained as of final weekend, in line with state information company IRNA. No less than 28 journalists arrested have been arrested as of Thursday, in line with the Committee to Defend Journalists.

Amnesty Worldwide on Thursday mentioned they’re “investigating the authorities finishing up mass arrests of protesters and bystanders, in addition to journalists, political activists, legal professionals, and human rights defenders, together with girls’s rights activists and people belonging to oppressed ethnic minority teams.”

Regardless of the rising loss of life toll and a fierce crackdown by authorities, movies circulating on social media present protestors calling for the autumn of the clerical institution within the cities of Qom, Rasht and Mashhad.

CNN can not independently confirm arrest or detention claims. A exact variety of protestors arrested or detained is not possible for these exterior Iran’s authorities to verify. Numbers range by opposition teams, worldwide rights organizations and native journalists.