An Iranian cartoonist whose satire of a prominent cleric outraged the Islamic establishment has been arrested.

The detention of Nik Ahangh-Kosar follows three days of protests in the holy city of Qom by thousands of clerics and theological students.

He was remanded to Tehran's Evin prison on Saturday after Iran's Press Supervisory Board referred the case against the pro-reform Azad newspaper to court.

Protesters said the cartoons - one showing a crocodile crushing a troublesome writer - insulted Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi.

Culture minister criticised

They criticised the moderate culture minister, Ataollah Mohajerani, for fostering a permissive climate which eroded Islamic values and called for his dismissal.

Azad published a notice on Saturday saying it was voluntarily suspending publication for three days "to soothe tensions".

It also has published apologies saying the cartoons were not intended to be offensive.

The BBC Tehran correspondent says the affair has brought to a head a growing confrontation between reformists and hardliners in the run-up to general elections in two weeks' time.