Arrest of Hadi Heydari, Reformist Journalist and Cartoonist

Reports from Iran indicate that Hadi Heydari, a journalist and cartoonist active in reformist media, was arrested by security forces on Monday, November 25. The news of Mr. Heydari's arrest was published by the website Khabar Online, close to supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, and noted that this is the third arrest of this Iranian journalist since the controversial June 2009 elections. According to Khabar Online, 'security agents' arrested Hadi Heydari at the office of the Shahrvand newspaper on Monday, and at the time of his arrest, they provided 'no explanation' regarding whether a new case had been opened against him or if his arrest was for the execution of a sentence. Hadi Heydari was one of 30 political activists and reformist journalists arrested during a Qom prayer ceremony on the last day of Mehr 2009. He was arrested again in December 2010 along with three other young members of the Participation Front but was released after two weeks in solitary confinement at 'Ward 2A of the IRGC.' In October 2012, Hadi Heydari was summoned due to one of his cartoons published in Shargh newspaper, which led to the newspaper's suspension. Mr. Heydari's arrest comes two weeks after Iranian security forces arrested at least four journalists, linking them to a 'network of infiltration.' Previously, Ebrahim Raeesi, the Attorney General, referred to the arrested journalists as 'an infiltration network in media and social networks' and 'elements of spies and American mercenaries.' However, the government of Hassan Rouhani, through the President, his Minister of Interior, and Minister of Culture, expressed dissatisfaction with the manner of these arrests, and even Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, stated that he does not consider these arrests unrelated to 'political settling of scores.' In this context, Rouhani stated: 'From some publications, one can understand who will be arrested tomorrow,' while Shamkhani agreed that the recent arrests are political. The IRGC's media-security activities against journalists have drawn reactions from Reporters Without Borders regarding a new wave of 'arrests, summons, and threats' against journalists. Hassan Rouhani stated: 'No one should play with the word 'infiltration' in the country.' An IRGC expert claimed that the arrested journalists were affiliated with Western espionage networks. The IRGC stated: 'We have arrested members of the infiltration network of Western governments.'