- Instagram travel influencer Alessa Piperno has been arrested in Iran amid the mass demonstrations.
- Piperno recently told her supporters that people in Iran were protesting for freedom.
- The demonstrations began after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody.
According to a Daily Beast report, an Italian travel and food blogger has been arrested in the Iranian capital amid the massive wave of anti-government demonstrations and police crackdown on protesters in the country.
Alessia Piperno was hanging out with friends to celebrate her 30th birthday when authorities came and arrested her, according to The Daily Beast, citing a now-deleted Facebook post of her father Alberto Piperno, who said he got a call from get her the way she was crying in jail. The Daily Beast reportedly confirmed Alessia’s arrest to the Italian Foreign Ministry, although they could not confirm why the police arrested her.
The Italian foreign ministry did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
In a recent post, tagged “Iran,” Piperno wrote about the country’s demonstrations following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s “Moral” police for allegedly violating mandatory hijab regulations had, and died in police custody. Piperno wrote that these people are protesting for freedom, saying if one day the country will be free it will be because of the women protesting by burning their hijabs and the men supporting them.
Piperno posted on Instagram that the Iranian people are fed up with being controlled and are taking to the streets in protest.
It is unclear whether Piperno was arrested for taking part in the demonstrations. The anti-government protests have prompted widespread police crackdown, including arrests of journalists, a musician who made a viral protest anthem, and a footballer and a poet, both of whom have supported the protests, according to The Guardian.
According to Radio Free Europe, Piperno was in Iran for two and a half months. Giorgia Meloni, the far-right politician who is set to become Italy’s next prime minister, issued a statement that she is following the Piperno case with concern.
The Iranian government has disrupted the country’s internet service, making it difficult for people to communicate and raise awareness on the internet, which is flooded with viral media and messages showing support for Iranian women and the demonstrations.
An Iranian human rights group released a statement on Sunday saying 133 people have been killed in the nationwide protests so far.
Piperno’s earliest Instagram posts date back to 2016. Her account is full of snaps from her travels, along with pictures of herself and friends. The 30-year-old’s last Instagram message before the arrest, released on Wednesday, said she was beginning her seventh year of travel.
