Iranian forces arrested Iranian journalist Reza Asadabadi on November 23, 2022.
Asadabadi is a reporter covering local news for the state-run Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA).
According to a report by the state-run news outlet Khabaronline, Asadbadi was arrested in his home in Tehran by security and intelligence agents of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was immediately taken to Evin Prison. Exile-run Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) also reported on the arrest.
According to Khabaronline, authorities have not announced any charges against the journalist. CPJ was unable to determine the status of his health in prison.
Reporters with ILNA, which covers local labor issues, have come under pressure by authorities due to their coverage of worker strikes related to nationwide protests, Khabaronline said.
Protests in Iran began in mid-September following the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, after morality police arrested her for allegedly violating the country’s conservative dress law. Authorities arrested dozens of journalists as the protests over Amini’s death spread across the country. Several were later released on bail.
CPJ emailed Iran’s mission to the United Nations in late 2022 for comment on the cases of imprisoned Iranian journalists but received no response.