Governor of Golpayegan Dismissed for Threatening to 'Beat' a Journalist

The governor of Isfahan apologized and expressed regret over the threat made by Hossein Farast, the governor of Golpayegan, against a journalist, leading to his dismissal from the position. Mohsen Mehralizadeh stated in an interview with Iranian television on Wednesday, February 1, that the behavior of the Golpayegan governor was 'inappropriate' and he apologized to the people and journalists for this incident. The Isfahan governor also mentioned that the governor's actions did not occur under 'normal circumstances' and that the incident happened after a lengthy visit and a four-hour meeting with officials. Following the dismissal, Mohammad Reza Tosuli, the Golpayegan district governor, was appointed as the acting governor of the city. A video circulated on social media on Tuesday showing Hossein Farast, the Golpayegan governor, angrily asking a journalist present at a public meeting not to take his picture. After the journalist insisted and pointed out that it was a public meeting, the governor threatened to beat him. Following this incident, Mr. Farast stated in an interview that when he, as the governor and the highest authority in the county, gives an 'order,' the journalist should not have taken his picture. He also mentioned that he was not in good physical condition, wearing a jacket and hat, which were not formal attire, and therefore did not want a picture taken of him. Previously, there have been reports of threats and arrests of several journalists in various provinces of Iran due to complaints from local officials. For instance, the Iran Human Rights Campaign reported that Sina Ghahlandari, a journalist residing in Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, was arrested on December 2 due to 'complaints from local officials and influence' from Allahyar Malekshahi, the representative of this county, and was released after 18 days 'after being charged with spreading falsehoods on bail.' According to the report, some local officials had filed complaints against him after he launched a Telegram channel named 'Radio Lorestan' and exposed several cases of 'corruption and embezzlement.' On August 24, 2014, ILNA news agency reported that Araaz Ziyaei, the head of the Zanjan city council, 'beat' a journalist in response to criticism. In the same year, the 102nd branch of the Qazvin public court sentenced Khalil Emami and Abbas Alipour, two Qazvin photographers, to 75 lashes for 'insulting' Mohammad Ali Hazratihas, the director of cultural heritage in the province. It was later announced that the cultural heritage director in Qazvin had withdrawn his complaint. Khalil Emami and Abbas Alipour had criticized the publication of a photo book by Mr. Hazratihas, funded by the Qazvin municipality, in local media. In May 2012, Iranian media reported that Mahmoud Shakariyeh, a cartoonist for the 'Nameh Amir' publication in Markazi province, was sentenced to 25 lashes for drawing a caricature of Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani, a representative of Arak in the eighth parliament. This news received significant attention, and following protests, it was announced that the Arak representative had withdrawn his complaint against Mr. Shakariyeh. According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran is considered one of the five largest prisons for journalists in the world.