The father of a jailed Iranian journalist has reportedly suffered a heart attack in front of the prison where his son is being held and apparently tortured.

Hossein Ronaghi was arrested in late September amid the wave of anti-regime protests sweeping the country and has been held in the capital Tehran’s notorious Evin jail.

Now his father Ahmad has been rushed to hospital following his collapse outside the prison.

His family say he has been admitted to the special care unit of Taleghani Hospital in Tehran.

Ronaghi’s parents, named – Ahmad and his mother Zuleikha Mousavi – had kept up vigil outside the jail.

Hasan Ronagi – Hossein’s brother – shared a photo of his father on his Twitter page on Saturday, 5th November, saying: “My father Ahmed Ronagi had a heart attack in front of Evin prison and was transferred to Taleghani hospital.

“Angiography was performed in the hospital and he has been admitted to the ICU.”

Ahmad is reportedly scheduled to undergo surgery this week, and Hasan said: “The Islamic Republic is responsible for my father’s condition.”

Hasan said on Twitter on Saturday evening: “My father, be strong because oppression will not last.”

Ahmad’s heart attack and hospitalisation occurred a day after reports about the transfer of his son Hossein from Evin prison to Taleghani Hospital’s emergency room on 4th November.

Journalist Massoud Kazemi wrote: “On the evening of Friday, 4th November, security officers took Hossein Ronaghi from prison to the emergency department of Taleghani Hospital, and after a few hours, he was taken out of the hospital in a wheelchair.”

The Iranian authorities have not yet provided an explanation about the physical condition of Hossein Ronaghi and the reason for his transfer to the hospital.

Since his arrest, Hossein Ronaghi has been on a hunger strike, and independent reports indicate that Iranian security forces broke his legs and one of his hands after his arrest.

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 ongoing protests have so far claimed the lives of 304 people, including 41 children, according to the Iran Human Rights organisation.

It is also understood that over 14,000 people have so far been arrested.