Iran’s regime is now the world’s biggest jailer of women journalists, the global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has announced.

Reporters Without Borders said on its website on August 26, 2019 that it was “alarmed” by a “new wave of arrests and interrogations of women journalists” in Iran since the start of August 2019.

“The Islamic Republic is now the world’s biggest jailer of women journalists, with a total of ten currently held,” RSF said.

“Already one of the world’s five biggest jailers of journalists, Iran is now holding more women in connection with their journalistic activities than any other country in the world,” said Reza Moini, the head of RSF’s Iran/Afghanistan Desk.

“We call on Javaid Rehman, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, to intervene with the utmost urgency to obtain their release and to address the disastrous press freedom situation in this country.”

Iran is ranked 170th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2019 World Press Freedom Index.