Tehran: Just three months after being released from prison after serving two years in prison, a dissident Iranian journalist was detained once more, his family reported on Tuesday.
A family member reported that activist Keyvan Samimi was detained on Thursday. The (security) service in charge of his arrest and his whereabouts remain unknown to us, they continued.
The 74-year-old was granted early release from Semnan Prison in January after being found guilty in December 2020 of "plotting against national security" and receiving a three-year prison sentence.
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He has met activists and other political figures since his release, including reformist former President Mohammad Khatami.
Samimi's family reported in January that he was also charged in a different case with "association against the security of the country." They didn't go into detail.
Samimi was temporarily let go from prison in February 2022 and returned home due to health issues, but in May he was put back behind bars after being accused of political activity.
After Mahsa Amini's death on September 16th, a protest movement erupted in Iran, and Samimi sent a message from his cell in support of it in December. After being detained by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the nation's dress code for women, the 22-year-old Iranian Kurd died there.
Samimi, a former editor of the now-banned intellectual publication Iran-e-Farda (Iran Tomorrow), has served time in prison both before and after Iran's revolution in 1979.
Additionally, just weeks after announcing a crackdown on violations, Iran has charged two well-known actresses for publishing images of themselves disrespecting the nation's dress code, according to local media.
According to the Tasnim news agency, Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram were accused by Tehran police of "the crime of removing the hijab in public and posting photos on the internet," and their case has been forwarded to Iran's judiciary. The two could receive fines or jail time if charged.
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Police announced earlier this month that they would start using "smart" technology in public areas to punish women who disobey Iran's mandatory dress code.
Bahram, 53, posted several pictures of herself without a headscarf that were taken in public spaces around Tehran last week, and Riahi, 61, posted several pictures of herself without a headscarf that were taken at a movie screening.
Authorities reported closing 150 businesses on April 16 because their staff members were not adhering to the dress code. The Fajr International Film Festival, Iran's premier film festival, has given Bahram and Riahi a number of awards.
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In November, Riahi was held in custody for over a week before being released on bail for posting images to Instagram in support of the Amini protests in which she was seen wearing no headscarf.