Increased Pressure on Journalists; Economic Journalist Monijeh Moazzen Arrested

Continuing the pressure on journalists in Iran, Monijeh Moazzen, a journalist and translator, was arrested on Wednesday, November 8. According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence, posing as civil registry officials, visited Moazzen's workplace at the economic media outlet "Eko Iran" and detained her. The report states that government agents also searched the home of this journalist, who is active in international economics and migration, confiscating some of her personal belongings. No information has been released regarding the reason for her arrest or her place of detention. In recent days, three other journalists - Maryam Shakirani, Zeynab Rahimi, and Elaheh Mousavi - have also faced legal cases or been summoned to court. Additionally, Maryam Shakirani, an economic journalist, and Zeynab Rahimi, an environmental journalist, are facing legal cases in the Tehran Culture and Media Court, while Elaheh Mousavi has been summoned to a criminal court in Gorgan. Based on a notification from Branch 106 of the Gorgan Criminal Court, Elaheh Mousavi has been accused of "defamation and spreading falsehoods" in cyberspace and must appear in court on November 21. This journalist has previously been summoned and tried multiple times due to her activities, especially regarding the exploitation of forests in the region and anti-environmental activities in northern provinces. The Tehran prosecutor also filed charges on November 6 against two critical media activists, Sara Masoumi and Milad Alavi, and the news channel "Roozarooz" for "spreading false information." Earlier, HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, reported the Supreme Court's rejection of a retrial request from journalist Saeedeh Shafiei, who was sentenced to prison and supplementary punishments, including a travel ban, for charges such as "propaganda against the regime." The arrest of journalists in Iran intensified with the onset of nationwide protests at the end of September 2022, with at least 73 journalists and photojournalists detained in the latter half of last year, further jeopardizing press freedom in the past 45 years. Previously, a journalist residing in Iran told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic's expectation from media is "to produce propaganda bulletins," and journalists are pressured due to "critical analyses" under vague titles such as "blackening." The International Federation of Journalists has once again called on the Islamic Republic authorities to immediately release all journalists and media staff imprisoned in Iran. Anthony Bellanger, the Secretary-General of this federation, stated that the Islamic Republic officials "always target journalists with undue punishments" and urged the judiciary of this government to "allow journalists to operate freely based on international documents that Iran must adhere to." The International Federation of Journalists condemned the prison sentences for Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi. The UN Special Rapporteur: The Islamic Republic must stop the widespread harassment of human rights defenders and journalists. Anniversary of Mahsa: The International Federation of Journalists report on a year of repression of journalists and media in Iran. Hossein Yazdi, a critical journalist, has been arrested again.