The Iranian regime has confiscated a prominent TV host’s passport over his support of the Mahsa Amini protests.

Ali Zia, who is a prominent TV host and producer in Iran, who hosted the well-known Formula One TV programme, had his passport confiscated as he was trying to leave the country, Iranian state media reported on Monday, 7th November.

Zia has apparently become a target for the regime after he published posts on his Instagram page in support of the protesters and called for an end to the repression against young people and women, according to independent Iranian media.

Zia reportedly said in one Instagram post: “Listen to women, youth and people. The voice of protest is raised when you did not hear their demands before. Treat people with patience and kindness. These boys and girls on the street are your children. We are full of wounds, don’t sprinkle salt on the wound.”

Iranian forces have been cracking down on waves of civil disorder following the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, who was on a visit to Tehran when she was arrested by morality police, accused of violating hijab rules on 13th September.

She was allegedly beaten while in custody and spent the following days in a coma in the hospital before succumbing in the ICU on 16th September.

The clinic where she was treated said in a now-deleted social media post that she had been admitted brain-dead.

Alleged medical scans of her skull leaked by hackers showed that she had suffered bone fractures, haemorrhages, and brain oedema.

Independent Iranian media have claimed that Mahsa’s medical records showing her history of heart disease were faked by the Iranian government.

Numbers differ regarding how many people have been killed since the protests began.

The protests have so far claimed at least 328 lives, including 45 minors, and injured at least 1,160, according to independent estimates.

It is also understood that over 14,825 people have so far been arrested.