Iran and Freedom of Expression in the Past Year

The past year was marked by criticisms regarding the state of freedom of expression, press, and journalists in Iran. Iran, with dozens of imprisoned journalists and bloggers, was introduced as the third largest prison in the world for media activists, and in the latest ranking by Reporters Without Borders regarding media freedom globally, Iran ranked 173 out of 180 countries surveyed. Together with Reza Moini, head of the Iran section at Reporters Without Borders, we review the state of freedom of expression in Iran over the past year. Mr. Moini, let me start this conversation with the question of how you assess the state of freedom of expression in Iran over the past year, given the promises made by Hassan Rouhani regarding freedom of expression and press freedom? The reality is that in a statement we published on the first anniversary of his election, we emphasized that unfortunately, his electoral promises have not only not been realized but the state of information freedom and freedom of expression in Iran has not improved, if we do not say it has worsened. The reality is that there is a type of freedom compared to the period of Mr. Ahmadinejad. This freedom is limited to a part of the state forces and the ruling power and approved factions. However, even these factions have not been spared from pressures and abuses of certain laws. In essence, we can say that freedom has not improved in Iran. Mr. Moini, if we want to examine the state of the press over the past year, do you have statistics on how many presses were suspended or had their licenses revoked during this period? According to the information collected, part of which has been published in the statements of Reporters Without Borders, a total of about 10 media outlets were either suspended or had their licenses revoked in Iran last year. Some of these media outlets have been allowed to publish again, like the newspaper 'Ghanun' or 'Ruzan', while others remain suspended and banned, like 'Sedaye Mardom', which was effectively suspended and had its license revoked. Hassan Rouhani, during a trip to New York, stated in an interview with CNN that he does not think anyone has been arrested for journalistic activities in Iran. Do you have statistics on the number of journalists and bloggers imprisoned in Iran and those arrested in connection with journalistic work last year? Currently, there are 19 journalists imprisoned in Iran. However, over the past year, 12 journalists were arrested. The number of arrested bloggers is currently close to 37, with 25 arrested last year. The reality is that many of those arrested in previous years, especially after the events of 2009, still face heavy sentences in prison and are in very poor conditions. I should also mention that among those arrested last year who were convicted in courts, about 19 people were sentenced, with sentences ranging from 6 to 15 years. Mr. Moini, you mentioned the sentences issued for journalists and bloggers. These sentences are based on charges such as acting against national security, propaganda against the regime, insulting officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and similar accusations. How much do you know about these accusations at Reporters Without Borders, and to what extent do these accusations reflect reality under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran? In Iranian law, we do not have a law defining political crimes, and therefore, lawmakers have defined various frameworks for activities that fall into the political and public sphere. Over the past 20 years, we can see accusations like acting against national security or insulting officials or spreading falsehoods, which essentially mix elements of political accusations without naming them and serve to cover up the injustices faced by detained journalists. This set, even if it were legal, should be examined in courts according to Iranian laws, where these defendants should be tried and have their legal rights respected. These courts, in terms of domestic laws, do not adhere to all regulations, and in terms of international laws, many of which have been replaced and Iran is a signatory to, are not respected. In any case, what remains is the example of Mr. Jason Rezaian, who remains the only foreign journalist to have been imprisoned for such a long time and is a victim of diplomatic and political bargaining with the Islamic Republic. Therefore, if this journalist is treated this way, other journalists who do not hold foreign nationality in Iran suffer from this lawlessness or unfairness and pay a heavy price for it. Mr. Moini, we know that several institutions and committees have been formed in Iran, including the Cyber Police and the Cyber Division of the Revolutionary Guards. There is a committee to determine the instances of criminal content that monitors internet activities. Given these institutions, how do you assess the state of the internet and filtering over the past year? In a statement we issued on March 12 for World Internet Censorship Day, we explained that Iran is caught in a confusion between good and evil. On one hand, the internet is a source of income for the Iranian government and for officials who import legal and illegal internet tools and software, generating substantial revenue. According to their own statistics, Iran has an internet penetration rate of nearly 50 percent, officially reported as 49.13 percent. They officially announced that there are 37 million users. Controlling these users is difficult. The 'halal internet' or 'national internet' that was rapidly developed during Ahmadinejad's administration has not been abandoned by the current government and is in the process of being reviewed and modernized for censorship purposes, referred to as 'smart filtering'. However, alongside this transformation or development, the nature of repression has intensified significantly. What I can say is that at least 25 bloggers are detained according to official statistics and approximately unofficially. The police's actions in various regions, how summonses are conducted, and how many users have been arrested for various reasons, such as insulting officials, do not have specific statistics. However, it is also a reality that since about March 11 of last year, a total of 50 citizen bloggers have been arrested in Iran. Reporters Without Borders has criticized the Rouhani government over the past year regarding the state of freedom of expression and press freedom in Iran. In your opinion, what practical steps can the Rouhani government take in this regard? The first demand we raised regarding Mr. Rouhani's government is the current situation of imprisoned journalists and bloggers. This situation is chaotic. I should inform you that in recent days, given the conditions faced by many imprisoned journalists who are ill, such as Mr. Mirdamadi, Masoud Bastani, Atena Farghadani, and other prisoners, we are facing a very dangerous situation. We have requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to urgently address this issue. Today, the freedom of imprisoned journalists, especially sick journalists, is an important step; the freedom of political prisoners, and what was raised in our first statement after Mr. Rouhani's election, is freedom in a nutshell. Journalists in Iran are the guardians of independence, freedom, and the development of society. Therefore, anyone who makes any promises regarding society without freedom of information, without freedom of expression, and its guarantee is practically making a promise to a mirage and the impossible. In this regard, freedom is our only demand for prisoners, bloggers, and for newspapers and for expression.