Iraj Jamshidi, Veteran Journalist, Passes Away

Iraj Jamshidi, one of the most experienced economic journalists in Iran, passed away on Thursday at the age of 74 after enduring a period of illness in a hospital in Tehran. He played a significant role in the establishment of newspapers such as Akhbar Economy, Abrar Eghtesadi, and Asia. Abrar Eghtesadi was named the highest-circulation economic newspaper in the history of Iran during the 1990s. Iraj Jamshidi, whose full name was Rahmatollah Jamshidi Larijani, was arrested in 2003 after publishing a photo of Maryam Rajavi on the front page of Asia and was imprisoned for about 400 days. He was released on bail in August 2004, and the case was closed. In 2017, he was also detained for a period in Tehran. Navid Jamshidi, his son, stated at that time to Voice of America that four security agents, along with a police officer, arrested Mr. Jamshidi. Last year, Navid Jamshidi was arrested following an interview with one of Voice of America's programs during the early days of nationwide protests (October 24) and was released on bail after some time. Mr. Jamshidi was detained at his home in Tehran by Iranian security services, but no reason was given for his arrest. The agents forcibly entered the journalist's house and confiscated his laptop, smartphone, and notes.