Iran: CFWIJ demands journalist Saba Azarpeik’s release immediately

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February 8, 2021, Tehran – Journalist Saba Azarpeik was reportedly arrested by The Iranian Cyber Police (FATA) on February 7 for unknown reasons. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is utterly dismayed by these unsettling developments in the country. We demand Saba’s release immediately. Journalism is not a crime. 

Saba’s husband Ataullah Hafezi took Twitter to announce the journalist’s arrest illegally. According to him, Saba Azarpeik was summoned without any notification. She had only a phone call from the FATA police. He said that Saba was arrested illegally and transferred to the court related to computer crimes.

According to IranWire, Ataullah added that the journalist was kept in the courthouse for hours for no specific reason and her lawyer's application for bail was not accepted. He said, "While she had taken to the prosecutor's office, she was shouting for help. She was illegally detained in full force in the presence of four officers."

Ataullah Hafezi linked his wife's arrest to "suspicious circumstances " and wrote to Ebrahim Raisi, the current Chief Justice of Iran that “What are the suspicious circumstances in the judiciary by the time of your visit and absence in Tehran.” “They are playing tricks and marginalizing the judiciary on the eve of the anniversary of the victory of the revolution?" he said. 

The reason for the arrest remains unclear about the journalist Saba Azarpeik. Radio Farda revealed that Saba recently wrote on her Telegram channel about the controversy held regarding the case of prominent attorney Hamid Hajian. Hamid Hajian was shot dead on April 24, 2019. Hamid Hajian was one of the defendants in the corruption case in Sarmayeh Bank. 

Saba Azarpeik, who has coverages about the corruption of high officials in the Iranian regime, is an investigative reporter. She was arrested before in 2014 for the charges of "propaganda against the state" and "dissemination of falsehoods." She was released on bail after 85 days in prison.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands the release of the journalist held in notorious conditions. The freedom to speech and expression is the birthright of every human, and a journalist must report the facts and share it with the public. Authorities must allow all of its citizens to practice their rights without fear of being prosecuted for it.