Ministry of Intelligence Agents Arrested Brother and Two Other Relatives of Masih Alinejad

On Tuesday, September 24, agents of Iran’s “Ministry of Intelligence” raided the home of Masih Alinejad’s brother in Tehran and Babol, and arrested the sister and brother of the journalist’s ex-husband.

Masih Alinejad, a journalist and civil activist, in a video sent to Voice of America, announced the news and stated that the agents accused Ali Alinejad, Leila Taleffi, and Hadi Lotfi of being connected to this New York-based journalist, and threatened their families that they should not give interviews or provide information at this time.

Mrs. Alinejad described this action as “hostage-taking” and said: “At a time when Hassan Rouhani and Javad Zarif are telling the global community at the United Nations that we are advocates of peace, inside the country they are advocates of terror and assassination against their own people.”

Mrs. Alinejad, who is the founder of the “White Wednesdays” campaign, had previously reported to Voice of America on April 12, 2019, that her mother had been summoned by the security police and told she must answer questions about “telephone communication with people outside the country.”

She said the purpose of these actions is “they want to silence us,” but emphasized that “as long as the people’s voice of protest is loud, my voice is also loud and I will not be silenced by these pressures and threats.”

For your information: Masih Alinejad is the host of a weekly program called “Tablet” in the Farsi section of Voice of America.

Source: Voice of America