Members of the Iranian press are demanding the release of their colleagues, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who were arrested for their coverage of Mahsa Amini.

Ms Amini died in a Tehran hospital after a brutal assault by the country’s morality police, VOA news reports. 

Ms Hamedi photographed Amini’s parents hugging each other in a Tehran hospital where their daughter was lying in a coma.

The photo, which was the first taken three days after Ms Amini was arrested, exposed her deteriorating condition despite Iran’s Guidance Patrol denying allegations of assault.  

Similarly, Ms Mohammadi covered the funeral of the deceased and the protests that broke out in the community. Her coverage further sprouted a national demonstration against police brutality, which remains ongoing. 

The call for their release was contained in a statement published by Iranian Etemad and other newspapers. 

Iran government agencies, on the other hand, accused the reporters of being agents of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency sent to destabilise the country. 

The country’s authorities have also arrested more than forty journalists since the protest broke out and have refused to charge them for any offence.