Journalist Vahid Ahang was temporarily released from prison on bail on November 7, 2018 after being arrested by security forces on October 28 and undergoing hours of interrogation. 

Ahang, based in the province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad in southwest Iran, is one of at least three journalists arrested over the last month. He was charged with “dissemination of [illegal] information” and “insulting and intimidating government officials.” It is understood that he will have to return to prison pending further investigation into his case as ordered by the judge, who was said to have taken some of the journalist’s critical reports about the city courts and its treatment of plaintiffs personally.  

After his arrest on October 31, Ahang was taken to the province's Dehdasht Prison. 

“He was transferred to the court last Wednesday and was interrogated for 12 consecutive hours,” a friend of Ahang told the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA). “During the interrogation he was frequently insulted and humiliated by the judge, Javad Parhizkar, and his chief of staff.”

The court set the bail at the equivalent of US$15,000, but Ahang’s release is understood to be temporary until the primary steps of the investigation are completed and the sentence has been finalized. 

Dishmook municipality initially lodged a complaint against Ahang, which led to his arrest. But during the court hearing, the mayor of the municipality stated that had withdrawn his complaint. However, the judge refused to honor this. Initially, he rejected the journalist’s request for bail and returned him to jail — despite the fact that technically there was no longer a case against him.

Ahang’s arrest came after that of journalist Pouyan Khoshhal on October 24 and prior to the arrest of Masoud Kazemi on November 5.