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Seven people with ties to Britain have been arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards over the anti-government protests that have snowballed across the country in recent months, according to reports.
According to Reuters, citing a statement published by state media, the arrested people, some of whom are dual nationals, were detained while trying to leave Iran.
The UK Foreign Office is understood to be seeking further information from Iranian authorities over reports that British-Iranian dual nationals have been arrested. A statement published in state media read: “Seven key leaders of recent UK-related protests were detained by the IRGC’s intelligence services. [Revolutionary Guards]Including dual citizens, who were trying to leave the country.
The reported arrests followed unrest over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini on 16 September. A 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian was arrested for wearing “inappropriate attire” under Iran’s Islamic dress code for women.
Witnesses said Amini was beaten inside a police van when he was picked up in Tehran. Police have denied the allegations, saying she had “sudden heart problems”.
The protests, in which demonstrators have called for the fall of Iran’s ruling theocracy, are among the biggest challenges to the Shiite Muslim-ruled Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
The government has blamed the unrest on demonstrators intent on destroying public property and claimed they were trained and armed by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Last week, Tarneh Alidusti, one of Iran’s most famous artists, was detained by security forces in Tehran after she criticized the state’s use of the death penalty on protesters.
The Tasnim news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, said she was arrested because of her decision to publish false and distorted material that incites riots and supports anti-Iranian movements.
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