TEHRAN: Iranian activist and journalist Keyvan Samimi remains in detention, his family told said on Monday, denying earlier press reports that he had been freed.

On Sunday, the reformist daily Shargh reported the release of the 73-year-old, sentenced to three years in prison in December 2020 for “conspiracy against national security.”

On Monday, his family said Samimi was still serving his sentence in prison in Semnan, more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of the capital Tehran.

The journalist was authorized in February 2022 to return home due to health problems.

However, he was sent back to prison in May after being accused of carrying out activities against national security, Mehr news agency reported at the time.

In December, he published from prison a message of support for the protests sparked by the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating strict dress codes.

Iranian officials have said hundreds of people have been killed in the unrest, including members of the security forces, and thousands have been arrested nationwide.

Samimi has served prison terms both before and after the Islamic revolution of 1979.

Also on Sunday, the Shargh newspaper announced the arrest of one of its journalists, Milad Alavi, after being summoned to court.

Last month Shargh published a list of nearly 40 journalists and photojournalists arrested in Iran in connection with the protests.