Motaghi has traveled to Switzerland as a reporter for Iscanews

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Amir Hossein Motaghi, a former reporter for Iscanews, has been introduced as a reporter for this news agency to cover the nuclear negotiations of the Islamic Republic. It is reported that Amir Hossein Motaghi, who traveled to Switzerland to cover the nuclear negotiations, has requested asylum in this country. Ali Ghorbani, the CEO of Iscanews, previously stated in an interview with Tasnim that Mr. Motaghi was dismissed from this news agency after posting a photo of himself in Switzerland alongside a foreign female journalist on his Instagram page. Nevertheless, the statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry noted that 'Iscanews announced the termination of cooperation with the mentioned individual in a letter dated 94/1/4 addressed to the media sector of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the news of the asylum request from one of the two introduced individuals was published.' Iscanews had previously stated that Mr. Motaghi had no official position in the news agency and was present at the negotiation site at his own expense. According to Saham News, Amir Hossein Motaghi submitted his asylum request after a verbal confrontation with the CEO of Iscanews over posting a 'selfie with a CCTV journalist' on his Instagram and a threat from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps regarding his arrest. The Iranian Foreign Ministry's announcement comes as Saham News reported that Amir Hossein Motaghi had been summoned several times by the Ministry of Intelligence before traveling to Switzerland. This journalist published a photo of a building on Abu Zar Ghafari Street in northern Tehran and wrote: 'I will not pass through this door again.' Saham News identified this building as belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence and quoted Mr. Motaghi's friends as saying that he had stated if he was summoned again, he would not go there so they would not have to arrest him. Simultaneously with the announcement of Motaghi's asylum in Switzerland, he mentioned his background in Hassan Rouhani's election headquarters and the disagreements between Ayatollah Khamenei's office and Hassan Rouhani in an interview with Alireza Noorizadeh on Iran Farda TV. However, the news website Entekhab denied this, stating that he was a reporter accompanying the headquarters on provincial trips with the support of 'certain individuals.' This website also reported: 'His colleagues at Iscanews say he had been unemployed for months due to a lack of reputation in the media and was added to the Iscanews team under pressure and lobbying from certain individuals.' However, Saham News reported that Motaghi had a background working with Mehr News Agency, Young Journalists Club, Etemad Newspaper, Bahar Newspaper, and Iran Radio and Television, as well as Farhikhtegan Newspaper.