Colombo (News 1st) – Iran has arrested 55 journalists since the start of anti-government protests four months ago, including 16 women, Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) said on Monday (23rd).

Twenty-seven of them remain behind bars, and another 28 have been given bail and are awaiting trial. Eight of them have been arrested since the beginning of this year.

Three women journalists were arrested over the weekend. Melika Hashemi was arrested on Saturday and Mehrnoush Zarei and Saeede Shafiel on Sunday, RSF said.

"RSF calls on the Iranian authorities to release the detained journalists immediately and drop all charges against them," RSF said in a statement.

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