Brother Of Journalist Working Abroad Arrested By Iranian Regime

An Iranian journalist working for a Farsi website abroad says the regime has arrested her brother because of her media activities.

Shima Shahrabi, editor-in-chief of IranWire’s Persian-language website said Wednesday that her brother has been in custody for more than three weeks.

“Because of my activities, which are entirely related to journalism and human rights, my family in Iran is under immense pressure from the security establishment of the Islamic Republic,” she wrote in a tweet.

Earlier, social media reports said that Sajjad Shahrabi, a dubbing artist and radio DJ, was arrested on May 2, but his charges are unknown.

“Six agents from the Intelligence Ministry raided my parents' home. After beating the superintendent, they entered the residential unit and searched the apartment. They seized laptops, mobile phones, banking cards and part of my father's US dollars and jewelry from his personal safe,” added the IranWire journalist.

According to her, the agents assured her father that they would release Sajjad after questioning; however, the same afternoon, he reported he had been transferred to the notorious Evin Prison.

“It has been 22 days since he was arrested but the court has not announced any charge against him. They say that he is under a one-month arrest warrant and, since he objected to his temporary arrest, he must remain in detention until the judge upholds or vacates the warrant,” Shima Shahrabi said.

The Iranian regime has always tried to put pressure on Farsi-speaking journalists abroad with the aim of stopping their activities. They put pressure on their family members inside and ban the journalists from buying and selling properties.