Editor-in-Chief of Etemad Found Guilty; Hazrati: I Am Proudly the Regime's Horn Blower

Elias Hazrati, the former editor-in-chief of the news site 'Etemad Online', was found guilty by the Islamic Republic's Press Court for using the term 'horn blower' in an article related to the accusation of 'insult and dissemination of falsehoods'. 'Etemad Online' published an article on March 14, 2023, titled 'Insult by the Horn Blower of the National Team in Qatar to Mohammad Javad Zarif', which led to a complaint by Mehdi Khanaali Zadeh, an expert from the Islamic Republic's Broadcasting Organization who was referred to as 'horn blower'. Mohammad Jalilian, Hazrati's lawyer, stated that he explained in court that 'horn blower' is not derogatory and 'I am proudly a horn blower, meaning a propagandist for the government, the regime, the Imam, Iran, and the revolution', but this explanation did not convince the court. According to this report, Hazrati's conviction was announced on Tuesday, January 13, and the court's ruling is expected to be issued soon. The International Federation of Journalists reported on January 12 that at least six journalists are imprisoned in Iran, emphasizing that journalism is not a crime and calling on the Islamic Republic to release all imprisoned journalists and media activists. According to 'Defending the Flow of Free Information', in 2024, the Islamic Republic targeted at least 256 journalists and media outlets in 385 cases of judicial and security action. The report states that last year, prison sentences against 11 journalists were executed, and at least 36 journalists and media activists were arrested in Iran. The violation of freedom of expression rights in Iran by the Islamic Republic and the actions of government officials to restrict media and arrest journalists have always made headlines. The latest report from the organization defending the flow of free information in Iran shows that with the official start of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic, the conviction of journalists has faced a fivefold increase. The Federation of Journalists: The Iranian government is a 'suppressor of press freedom'. The arrest of Mehrdad Aladin, a journalist and documentary filmmaker in Tehran. The Human Rights Defenders Association called for the immediate release of Reza Valizadeh. Exclusive: The U.S. called on the Islamic Republic to immediately release Reza Valizadeh.