Shahrzad Jafari, Sister of Detained Photographer Noushin Jafari, Also ‘Arrested’
Unofficial reports indicate that Shahrzad Jafari, sister of Noushin Jafari, a detained theater and cinema photographer, was also arrested today, Sunday.
Shiva Nazarahary, an Iranian political activist based outside the country, published this news on Twitter on Sunday, September 10, stating that Shahrzad Jafari, sister of Noushin Jafari, was arrested at her home this morning.
Ms. Nazarahary wrote that she had been “threatened” not to report information about her sister’s situation.
It remains unclear which authority arrested Shahrzad Jafari, and the arrest has not been officially confirmed or denied by authorities.
Noushin Jafari, a theater and cinema photographer, was arrested on August 3 of last month, and Gholamhossein Esmaili, spokesman for Iran’s judiciary, accused her of anti-system propaganda and insulting sacred values.
Since Noushin Jafari’s arrest, some Iranian intelligence sources have claimed she manages the Twitter account “Yaar Dabestani” which writes against the Islamic Republic. However, the administrator of this Twitter account has denied any connection with Ms. Jafari.
Previously, Nazarahary had released an audio file from Noushin Jafari in which Ms. Jafari, emphasizing that she is “under pressure,” asks Ms. Nazarahary to provide her with information about a Twitter user account.
Noushin Jafari’s lawyer also recently announced that the security prosecutor has not allowed him to represent Ms. Jafari.
Previously, international human rights organizations and the United States have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of violating freedom of speech and suppressing civil activists, calling for the release of media professionals, journalists, and writers who have lost their freedom solely due to their duties and professions.
The U.S. State Department also wrote in tweets titled “40 Years of Broken Promises” that “Forty years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini promised freedom of speech and press freedom. Today, Iran has one of the most repressed media environments. The ruling regime has only brought forty years of failure.”
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