International Federation of Journalists Defends Iranian Journalists' Right to Form Union

The International Federation of Journalists accused Iranian authorities of "violating the fundamental rights of journalists" following the resignation of the board of the Tehran Journalists' Association and called for the removal of obstacles to media professionals' activities in Iran. The newly elected board members of the Tehran Journalists' Association resigned on Friday, September 3, in protest against the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare's obstruction of the registration of this association and "illegal pressures" to change its board composition. Anthony Bellanger, the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Journalists, stated, "We respect the decision of the board members to resign in protest against the obstinacy of the authorities [in Iran] and the violation of the fundamental rights of Iranian journalists, and we continue to defend the right of all our colleagues in Iran to form, organize, and manage their own union." The resignation letter from the board members of the Tehran Journalists' Association indicated that the General Directorate of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of Tehran Province had "refused" to register this association and declared "extralegal and illegal measures as a prerequisite for the official registration of the association." The letter stated that the General Directorate of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of Tehran Province had repeatedly demanded changes in the elected board members of the association and their replacement with individuals outside the list of the main and alternate elected members of the association's general assembly. However, the signatories of this letter deemed such a request as "illegal" and "an interference of a governmental body in the affairs of a non-governmental organization." The Tehran Journalists' Association was formed following the prevention of the activities of the Iranian Journalists' Association and the sealing of its office in 2009. However, despite Hassan Rouhani's promises to remove obstacles to the activities of the journalists' association, neither this association could resume its activities nor could the newly established Tehran Journalists' Association make any progress. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Journalists reiterated the necessity of resuming the activities of the Iranian Journalists' Association and called for the removal of restrictions and obstacles in this regard. Previously, Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, stated that the Attorney General opposed the reopening of the journalists' association.