The Iranian Journalists' Guild, in a letter, accused the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of attempting to establish 'alternative' and 'parallel' guilds, and requested that the President of Iran appoint an 'impartial, neutral, and fair' individual in the government to address the obstacles to reopening the guild. The letter, published on Friday, June 5, in ILNA news agency and several websites including Asr Iran, emphasized that Rouhani's directive to the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare regarding the reopening of the Journalists' Guild has been 'ignored and shelved.' The authors of the letter, without naming names, accused some mid-level government officials of having pursued 'relentless efforts' to establish 'alternative' and 'parallel' guilds since the formation of the cabinet. The Journalists' Guild also accused the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of being 'at the forefront of managing this project and currently acting as the main obstacle to the legal rights of this organization.' According to the Journalists' Guild, this ministry and certain parts of the government are trying to 'erase' the 'lasting works' of the Iranian Journalists' Guild by inviting dissolved organizations or those with 'serious doubts' about the journalistic credentials of their founders and managers to state conferences and festivals. In the conclusion of their letter, the Journalists' Guild urged Rouhani to issue a 'serious warning' to these officials and appoint an 'impartial, neutral, and fair' individual in the government to address the obstacles to reopening the guild. Last year, the Journalists' Guild also accused the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of 'instead of recognizing the legal rights of the Iranian Journalists' Guild, pursuing its incorrect policy in a non-transparent manner to prevent the reopening of the guild.' Rouhani had promised during his election campaign to make efforts to reopen certain professional organizations, including the Iranian Journalists' Guild. The Iranian Journalists' Guild was shut down on August 5, 2009, following widespread public protests against the disputed results of that year's presidential election, by order of Saeed Mortazavi, the Tehran prosecutor. More than 770 journalists and reporters had requested the reopening of the Iranian Journalists' Guild in a letter to Rouhani on January 25, 2014.
Journalists' Guild Sends Letter to Rouhani Regarding Obstacles to Reopening the Guild
The Iranian Journalists' Guild has accused the government of obstructing its reopening by promoting alternative organizations. They have called on President Rouhani to appoint a fair official to resolve these issues. This situation highlights ongoing tensions between the government and press freedoms in Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Iranian Journalists' Guild accused the government of obstructing its reopening by promoting alternative organizations and requested President Rouhani to intervene. They claim that certain officials are undermining their legal rights.
- The Journalists' Guild was shut down in 2009 following protests against the presidential election results.
- Over 770 journalists have requested the reopening of the Guild since 2014.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Iranian Journalists' Guild was established to protect the rights of journalists but has faced significant repression since its closure in 2009. The government's attempts to create alternative guilds reflect broader efforts to control civil society.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%