At Least Three Photographers Arrested in Iran Amid Internet Blackout

At least three Iranian photographers have been arrested and their camera gear seized as information slowly emerges from the country during a near-total internet blackout imposed by the authorities.

Since January 8, Iranian authorities have blocked internet access nationwide in an effort to crush anti-government protests that have spread across the country and triggered what is described as the state’s deadliest crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. For nearly 20 days, Iran has experienced a sweeping communications blackout that has cut off most access to the global internet, which analysts describe as one of the most extensive shutdowns in recent history.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that several journalists and photographers have been detained during the blackout, further isolating those held and limiting families’ ability to obtain reliable information. In a statement, the CPJ calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release all detained media workers.

Freelance documentary photographer Navid Zarrehbin Irani was reportedly arrested at his home in Mashhad in northeastern Iran, on January 16. Security forces reportedly raided his home and seized all of his personal and professional equipment.

Irani has worked as a documentary photographer for more than two decades, with his images published in books and by various media outlets. Following his arrest, his family deactivated his social media accounts to prevent further surveillance. His family has received no information about his whereabouts or place of detention and remains unaware of the reason for his arrest. Irani is a member of the Bahá’í faith. Human rights groups say Bahá’ís, who are banned from practising their religion in Iran, face systematic persecution, discrimination, and arbitrary detention.

“Because of his Bahá’í faith, he has long been barred from publicly exhibiting his work in Iran,” Irani’s sister-in-law, Niloofar Azimian, who lives in the Netherlands, tells the CPJ. “We guess he had been documenting recent protests and previously, authorities had attempted to seize his studio.”

On January 18, freelance photojournalist Artin Ghazanfari was also detained by security forces at his home in Tehran, according to the CPJ. Authorities reportedly confiscated his electronic equipment and books during the arrest. Earlier, on January 9, sports photojournalist Hamed Araghi was arrested by security forces in the northern city of Karaj. CPJ says it has been unable to contact the families or colleagues of Ghazanfari and Araghi, and both journalists’ Instagram accounts have since been deactivated.

Hengaw has learned that Artin Ghazanfari, a Baha’i photojournalist, and resident of Tehran, was arrested at his home by Iranian government forces on Monday, January 19, 2026.

Sources told Hengaw that government agents conducted a several-hour search of his residence, during… pic.twitter.com/n7OWtiTWL3

— Hengaw Organization for Human Rights (@Hengaw_English) January 23, 2026

In a separate case, the CPJ reports that Iranian police arrested Hassan Abbasi, a well-known local journalist, on charges of spreading false information and inciting unrest.

“The detention of Hassan Abbasi, Artin Ghazanfari, and Hamed Araghi for unknown reasons shows how Iranian authorities are exploiting a prolonged information blackout to target the media,” CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah says in a statement. “Iran must immediately disclose where these journalists are being held and the legal basis for their detention.”

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.