Three family members of an award-winning Iranian-American journalist and activist have been detained in an attempt to "intimidate her into silence", human rights groups have alleged.
Masih Alinejad, who now lives in the US in self-exile, hit headlines after launching a viral campaign called White Wednesdays, urging women to post photos of themselves without their hijab or wear a white headscarf every Wednesday in protest of Iran's strict laws around female clothing.
On Tuesday, Ms Alinejad's brother, Alireza Alinejad, and the siblings of her ex-husband, Hadi and Leila Lotfi, were arrested in their Tehran homes by Iranian intelligence officials, Amnesty International said.
Freedom of speech advocacy organisation Pen America has described the arrests, which they allege are in retribution for Ms Alinejad's journalism and activism, a "reprehensible attack on free expression".
"The arrest and detention of three of Masih Alinejad’s family members is clearly direct retribution for her work advocating for women’s liberty and a deplorable attempt to intimidate her into silence by targeting her family," director of Pen's Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), Julie Trebault, said in a statement.
“PEN America calls for the Iranian government to immediately release Alinejad’s family members, and to reject employing such unconscionable tactics in the future.”
According to human rights groups, Alireza Alinejad and Leila Lotfi remain detained at an unknown location.
Hadi Lotfi has since been released but barred from leaving the city, Amnesty International said.
“These arrests are a blatant attempt by the Iranian authorities to punish Masih Alinejad for her peaceful work defending women’s rights," Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa research director, said.
"Arresting the relatives of an activist in an attempt to intimidate her into silence is a despicable and cowardly move."
In a tweet on Thursday, Ms Alinejad said her brother had been dragged out of his house in handcuffs and her mother interrogated for two hours even though she hasn't seen them for 10 years.
In July, Iranian officials said posting photos as part of the White Wednesday campaign, which Ms Alinejad started from her home in Brooklyn, could result in up to ten years in prison.
