Legal Cases Filed Against Two Female Journalists at Tehran's Culture and Media Court

Maryam Shakirani and Zeinab Rahimi, two journalists in Iran, announced that legal cases have been filed against them at Tehran's Culture and Media Court, stating they do not know the reasons for these legal actions. Maryam Shakirani, an economic journalist, wrote on social media platform X that 'a new case has been opened against me in Branch 16 of the Culture and Media Court,' adding, 'I don't even know the subject of the complaint, and nothing has been registered in the Sana system!' Similarly, Zeinab Rahimi, an environmental journalist, also wrote on the same social media that 'a case has been formed again regarding my media activities' and 'this time in Branch 9 of the Culture and Media Court.' She emphasized that 'the authority and subject of the complaint are still unclear.' 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 second 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 the media is 'to produce propaganda bulletins,' and journalists face pressure due to 'critical analyses' under vague titles like 'black propaganda.' The International Federation of Journalists has again called on the Iranian authorities to immediately release all journalists and media staff imprisoned in Iran. Anthony Bellanger, the Secretary-General of this federation, stated that the Iranian authorities '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.'