Appeals Court Confirms 40 Lashes Sentence for Journalist in Arak

According to the ruling of the Central Province Appeals Court, the sentence of '40 lashes' for Salahuddin Khalaj Asadi, which was issued in the primary court, has been confirmed. This local journalist in Arak has emphasized his innocence. The International Federation of Journalists announced on Tuesday, July 16, that Salahuddin Khalaj Asadi, a local journalist from Arak media, was sentenced to '40 lashes' following a complaint by Masoud Pirayesh, the director general of the Sports and Youth Administration of Central Province. This federation reported, citing 'informed sources', that the 'ruling of the primary court' against this journalist has been 'exactly confirmed' in the appeals court and 'the sentence is expected to be executed soon.' Salahuddin Khalaj Asadi, editor of the weekly 'Cheshm Be Rah' and a local journalist in Arak, reacted to the issuance of this sentence by publishing a video on the Telegram channel of the weekly, stating that the court condemned him to lashes based on the accusation of 'insulting a government official' under 'Article 609 of the Islamic Penal Code.' He was also accused of 'insulting a person' and 'defamation and spreading falsehoods' but was acquitted of these charges. In the released video, he emphasized that he does not accept the attributed crime 'at all' and insisted that he had asked the investigator to 'obtain inquiries according to the law to prove the honesty of his statements.' He stated, 'This volume of accusations against a journalist' was intended to 'prevent him from performing his duties and silence a critic.' Mr. Khalaj Asadi stressed that 'as a journalist', he fulfilled his 'duty to critique the performance of managers' and did not 'insult' the government official. Pressure on civil and political activists in Iran has increased in recent years, especially following the nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of the morality police in 2022. According to a report by Amnesty International in early May, the Islamic Republic officials have resorted to 'severe suppression of political freedoms' of activists, journalists, and critics using 'illegal coercive forces and unfair trials' to silence protests. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, condemned the 'unjust' sentences and 'attempts to intimidate and silence activists' in Iran, describing it as 'an effort to intimidate and silence activists.'