Famous Iranian Photojournalist Arrested Covering Protests in Tehran

Yalda Moaiery, a well-known news photographer and a member of the Iranian Press Photographers Association, was arrested in Tehran during protests on Tuesday and taken to the notorious Qarchak Women’s Prison in Varamin.

After news of Moaiery’s arrest surfaced on Wednesday, the Tehran Province Journalists' Association issued a statement demanding her immediate release, saying she had been detained “while staunchly defending colleagues’ freedom of movement in covering events”.

It asked the Iranian judiciary to remember “one of the main duties of reporters and photographers is to attend daily events and compile news reports. Just as the presence of emergency personnel and medical staff at a public event is not considered taking part, so it cannot be for journalists and photographers, and it cannot be used as a pretext for their arrest.”