Exclusive; U.S. State Department's Reaction to Issuance of Absentia Sentences for VOA Journalists: Iranian Government Known for 'Media Suppression'

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department responded on Wednesday to leaked documents regarding the issuance of absentia sentences for several Voice of America journalists, stating that such behavior from the Iranian government, known worldwide for media suppression, is 'not surprising.' In response to the Persian section of Voice of America, the spokesperson said, 'We cannot confirm the authenticity of the leaked documents, but the intimidation of journalists abroad by the Iranian regime and the suppression of media domestically is well known to the world.' He continued, 'The absentia conviction of journalists based outside the country who play a role in exposing the regime's violations would not be surprising.' According to documents released during the hacking of the judiciary's websites, the cases of several journalists working in the Persian section of Voice of America were sent to the 'Criminal Execution Branch of the Tehran Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office' in Ordibehesht 1401, announcing a 'prison sentence' for the charge of 'propaganda against the regime.' The names of journalists including Aryan Raisbaf, Sara Dehghan, Mehdi Fallahati, Hamideh Armideh, Niusha Beghrati, Roozbeh Boulahri, Mahtab Vahidi Rad, Fahimeh Khodrheidari, Payam Yazdian, Arash Sigarachi, and Mehdi Aghazamani, as well as the late Behrouz Sooraserafili, a former journalist and colleague, and Setareh Derakhshesh, the former head of the Persian section of Voice of America, are mentioned in this document. In the response from this media official of the U.S. State Department to Voice of America, it was also stated, 'This issue is the latest reminder that the Iranian judicial system is routinely used as a tool of repression. Journalists perform an important role in informing the public, often in dangerous conditions, and must be protected.' This media official reiterated the U.S. commitment to freedom of information, stating, 'The United States will continue its active steps, both publicly and privately, to assist journalists around the world, especially in the face of such repression.' Previously, John Lipman, the acting head of Voice of America, stated in a statement regarding the secret sentences issued by the Islamic Republic for journalists in the Persian section of this media outlet that such cases are 'a typical example of actions by a regime that does not value human rights or the rule of law.' He emphasized that Voice of America supports its journalists and reporters. Mr. Lipman also stated, 'We are exploring ways to enhance the security of the individuals mentioned and their families, and we will collaborate with foreign organizations and other relevant entities for this purpose.' In another document, a case was revealed in which a six-year prison sentence was issued for Babak Banziri, a journalist in the Persian section of Voice of America, due to his journalistic work. Another document shows that due to complaints from 'Bank Sarmayeh,' the 'Attorney General's Office,' and the 'Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization,' several journalists including Niusha Beghrati, Mehdi Fallahati, Aryan Raisbaf, Arash Sigarachi, Mahtab Vahidi Rad, Hamideh Armideh, Sara Dehghan, Roozbeh Boulahri, Mehdi Aghazamani, Fahimeh Khodrheidari, Payam Yazdian from Voice of America, as well as the late Behrouz Sooraserafili, a former journalist and colleague, and Setareh Derakhshesh, the former head of the Persian section of Voice of America, have been accused of 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' In recent days, the hacker group 'Justice Ali' announced that it managed to access the computer system and servers of the Islamic Republic's judiciary and obtained tens of millions of files, of which more than three million documents have been disclosed so far.