Safieh Gharebaghi is a freelance journalist and a women’s rights activist was arrested by the agents of the Intelligence Ministry on October 1 at her workplace in the city of Zanjan following the start of protests over the death of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in custody of the Morality police. She was released on bail after eight days.

Her arrest was reported in a tweet by her husband Rouzbeh Saadati who wrote that she had been taken to an unknown location.

During the protests, Safieh Gharebaghi had protested on her Instagram page against the violence against the protesters and the wave of arrests in Zanjan by security agencies.

She has been summoned and interrogated by the judiciary and security many times, including on July 17, 2017, when her home was searched by the agents of the Intelligence Ministry and her laptop, notebooks, books and personal documents were confiscated. She told her family that she had been charged with “propaganda against the regime”, “distortion of public opinion” and “publication of falsehoods”.

In November 2018, the Revolutionary Court of Zanjan acquitted her of “propaganda against the regime” and “conspiracy against national security”. Later the same court acquitted her of other charges as well.

Safieh Gharebaghi is the aunt of Parisa Rafiei, a student activist and a former political prisoner.