Eight women have been arrested in Iran as part of a crackdown on women posting photographs online without wearing the compulsory headscarf.
Among them was Elham Arab, a model known for her distinctive blonde hair and wedding dress portraits, who was made to issue a public apology in footage broadcast on state television.
Her Instagram page has been shut down, along with those belonging to the seven other arrested women, along with Facebook pages and business websites.
More arrests are expected as part of “Operation Spider II”, which Iranian authorities said aims to defend “honour” for Muslims, protect Islamic and national identity and exclude “unhealthy” online content.
Among the groups protesting was My Stealthy Freedom – an online movement started by journalist Masih Alinejad that encourages women in Iran to post photos of themselves online without headscarves.
More information: mystealthyfreedom.net
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