Two foreigners, allegedly working as reporters without accreditation, have been arrested by Iranian authorities, Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Edzehi, a spokesman for the Iranian Justice Ministry, told the ISNA news agency on Monday.
Unconfirmed reports said the two work for the German tabloid Bild am Sonntag, having entered the country as tourists, dpa reported.
According to Mohseni-Edzehi, the two attempted, without proper credentials, to interview the son of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a woman who has been sentenced to death by stoning on charges of murder and adultery.
Mohammadi-Ashtiani's case has drawn international attention, and outrage.
The reported interview had been arranged by her lawyer, with the son told to cooperate with the reporters, said Mohseni-Edzehi.
"Some people (in the neighbourhood) had suspicions that something wasn't right with the reporters and notified officials immediately," he said.
The interview was reportedly broken up soon after it started, with all three arrested.
"During the investigation, neither of the foreigners could show press accreditation or approval," said the spokesman. The two reporters are now being held in custody