Editor-in-Chief of Etemad Newspaper Condemned to Pay a Fine

The lawyer of the editor-in-chief of Etemad newspaper announced that his client has been sentenced to pay a fine of 150 million rials in two lawsuits filed by the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mohammad Jalilian stated on Thursday, May 25, that the press jury found Behrouz Behzadi guilty in two cases of 'spreading falsehoods and publishing misleading content' and sentenced him to a 'heavy punishment of 6 months of imprisonment,' which was later reduced to a fine of 150 million rials. According to this lawyer, the indictment relates to three articles published in Etemad during last year's nationwide protests. Mohammad Jalilian mentioned the published notes as 'the crisis of legitimacy and efficiency of the governance system' by Behrouz Hadi Zanouzi, 'words to be unheard' by Fayyaz Zahed, and 'the subject of the constitution' by Ali Akbar Gorji Azandariani. He described the imprisonment and fine for media personnel as 'unprecedented' and stated that he would appeal this ruling. Recently, following the publication of a report about the increase in organ trafficking in the newspapers 'Etemad' and 'Jahan San'at', the editors of these newspapers were summoned to the prosecutor's office. According to the latest report from Reporters Without Borders, Iran ranks 177th out of 180 countries in terms of media freedom. Thus, media freedom is only worse in three countries: Vietnam, China, and North Korea. Reporters Without Borders described the media freedom situation in Iran as 'worrisome' and labeled the Islamic Republic as 'one of the most repressive governments in the world.' The International Federation of Journalists also stated that in recent weeks, pressure on journalists and media activists has increased significantly, noting that currently 15 journalists are in prison.