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Marzieh Rasouli, Parastoo Dokouhaki and Sahamoddin Bourghani had worked for reformist media outlets

 At least three prominent journalists have been arrested in Iran in a fresh crackdown on press freedom ahead of the country's parliamentary elections in March.

Two journalists, Marzieh Rasouli and Parastoo Dokouhaki, and photojournalist Sahamoddin Bourghani were arrested separately by officials believed to be from the Iranian security services.

Rasouli, who has been working for the arts and culture sections of some of the country's leading reformist newspapers, is reported to have been arrested at home in the early hours of Tuesday and taken to Tehran's Evin prison.

According to reports published on Iranian opposition websites, security officers showed a warrant for her arrest, which accused her of "acting against national security", a vague charge the Islamic regime has often used to convict many of the country's activists and journalists, especially since Iran's 2009 disputed presidential elections.

In recent years, many reformist publications have been closed down temporarily or permanently. As a result, Rasouli was among a group of journalists with little job security, often changing the publication she worked for after only a few months. Duri... >>>