Iranian Dissident Journalist Detained Again After Being Assaulted

Journalist Nazila Maroufian, who was released on bail just days ago, has been arrested again and detained in Qarchak prison.

The journalist, who is also a student at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, was arrested in July following a summons to the Prosecutor's Office at Evin prison.

After being released on bail on Sunday, she went to a police station to retrieve her mobile phone and was allegedly attacked by law enforcement officers. A witness reported that an officer struck Maroufian on the back of her head. Maroufian’s mother, who was with her, compared her daughter's treatment to the tragic case of Mahsa Amini, who died while in the custody of the morality police. The officer replied, "Yes, just like we killed her, we will kill this one as well."

Both mother and daughter were arrested and detained although Maroufian's mother was later released. The journalist herself was transferred to a quarantine ward within Qarchak prison, south of Tehran, based on a temporary arrest warrant.

Her initial arrest came after security agents from the Ministry of Intelligence raided Maroufian's home and summoned her to the prosecutor's office.

Maroufian was previously employed by the moderate Iranian news website Rouydad 24, which had been a reliable source of news about developments in Iran. In March, the Iranian regime temporarily blocked access to the website after it published an interview with Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa (Zina) Amini.