- The Instagram travel influencer Alessa Piperno was arrested in Iran amid the mass demonstrations.
- Piperno had recently posted to her followers saying people were protesting in Iran for freedom.
- The demonstrations began after the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody.
An Italian travel and food blogger was arrested in Iran’s capital amid the massive wave of antigovernment demonstrations and police crackdown on protesters in the country, according to a Daily Beast report.
Alessia Piperno was hanging out with friends to celebrate her 30th birthday when authorities came and arrested them, according to The Daily Beast, citing a now-deleted Facebook post from her father, Alberto Piperno, who said he got a call from her as she was crying in prison. The Daily Beast reportedly confirmed Alessia’s arrest with the Italian foreign ministry, although they were unable to confirm why police detained her.
Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
In a recent post with the location tagged “Iran,” Piperno wrote about the country’s demonstrations following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s “morality” police for allegedly breaking the mandatory hijab regulations and died in police custody. Piperno wrote that these people are protesting for freedom, and said that if the country will be free one day, it will be because of the women protesting by burning their hijabs and the men supporting them.
A post shared by Aʟᴇssɪᴀ-ᴠɪᴀɢɢɪᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴇ ꜱᴏʟɪᴛᴀʀɪᴀ (@travel.adventure.freedom)
Piperno posted on Instagram that Iranian people were fed up with being controlled and were taking to the streets to protest.
It’s unclear if Piperno was arrested for taking part in the demonstrations. The antigovernment protests have led to a widespread police crackdown, including arrests of journalists, a musician who made a viral protest anthem, and a football player and a poet who both showed support for the protests, according to The Guardian.
Piperno had been in Iran for two and a half months, according to Radio Free Europe. Giorgia Meloni, the far-right politician set to become Italy’s next prime minister, issued a statement that she was following Piperno’s case with concern.
The Iranian government has disrupted the country’s internet service, making it more difficult for people to communicate and gain attention on the internet, which has overflowed with viral media and messages showing support for Iranian women and the demonstrations.
An Iranian human rights group published a statement Sunday saying 133 people have died so far in the country-wide protests.
Piperno’s earliest Instagram posts date back to 2016. Her account is full of snapshots from her travels along with pictures of herself and friends. The 30-year-old’s last Instagram message before the arrest, posted Wednesday, said she was about to begin her seventh year traveling on the road.
