New Methods of the Islamic Republic to Filter and Restrict Journalists

Iranian citizens have been familiar with restrictions on access to websites and filtering for years, but now the Islamic Republic has taken a step further by forcing individuals, including journalists, reporters, and even researchers, to post an image repeating the old phrase 'filtered' on their personal pages. Media activists on Twitter and Instagram, after being compelled to delete their previous content, must also publish an image stating 'Access to the requested website is not possible.' In recent weeks, some journalists and political and social activists have reported that their mobile phone SIM cards have been cut off. The newspaper 'Shargh' reported at the end of September that follow-ups with these journalists and political activists revealed that their mobile phones were cut off by the order of the prosecutor's office, citing their activities in cyberspace or the publication of images without hijab, opposition to executions, or similar stances as reasons. Now their Instagram pages are also being filtered. The names of journalists and media activists who have spoken to Radio Farda have been anonymized. The restrictions on activists came after a promise to lift filtering. The imposition of restrictions and the cutting off of journalists' mobile phones occurred after Masoud Pezeshkian, a presidential candidate, referred to the former 'morality police' plan as a 'black' scheme during the 2024 election debates and stated that women cannot be forced to wear hijab. He declared that the internet should be free, and he would stand against its restrictions, arguing that filtering has led to a business in selling VPNs. Following the cutting of SIM cards, several legal experts reacted. Ali Mojtahedzadeh, a lawyer, described the imposition of punishment without a trial as 'extralegal' behavior, stating that multiple principles of the constitution, including Article 36, have been clearly violated. According to this article, punishment and its execution must only be carried out through a competent court and according to the law. Pezeshkian's promise to combat internet censorship and the morality police if elected has not yet materialized. Sedaf Fatemi, a social journalist, was among those who reported her SIM card being cut off. Others have also reported similar situations and have sought legal recourse. At that time, this behavior was interpreted as pressure on journalists and media activists. The ambiguities surrounding this treatment had not reached any clear point when the situation of journalists and media activists' freedom was further exacerbated. Since last week, the pages of some activists on Instagram changed. Their profile pictures were altered to a page that previously represented filtered pages, stating that access to these pages is not possible for viewers. Another change was the deletion of all posts from these individuals' Instagram pages, and the final blow was the publication of an image as a post without any explanation. This photo repeated the same profile picture that the judiciary had forced them to publish. The husband of Sedaf Fatemi wrote on X: 'After about a month of the sudden cut-off of Sedaf Fatemi's SIM card (my wife), she was forced to delete all her posts on Twitter and Instagram and to post this mandated post.' With the expansion of social networks and the increase in activities of journalists, media activists, and even researchers, their Instagram and X pages have become a place for gathering evidence against them. Those who have been summoned and interrogated by the prosecutor's office or the Ministry of Intelligence in recent years confirm this. Mona, an economic journalist who was summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence last year, told Radio Farda: 'The folder containing the printouts of my Instagram and Twitter posts was in the hands of the interrogator, and I was questioned about each photo and text. They even had printouts of stories that last for 24 hours, meaning they had printed them at the time of publication. My type of hijab, my stances on political and social events, and even my reactions to the increase in the dollar price were among the topics I was interrogated about, which I had to document after explaining orally.' The program 'Dialogue Iran' was published on the YouTube platform. Mohammad Ahmadi, a social researcher and creator of this program, was arrested on October 9, 2024. He gathered a limited group in a non-studio space to discuss various topics among supporters and opponents. Topics such as hijab or immigration were among them. A part of one of the program's videos, which was shared multiple times on social media, related to immigration. A young man pleadingly said: 'The problem is not Iran; the problem is a few people who have made it this way; don't leave us alone with them.' A total of 21 videos had been published on the 'Dialogue Iran' YouTube channel, and last week, the program's Instagram page announced Mr. Ahmadi's arrest, and on Saturday, all posts from this page were deleted, replaced by a single post. The only post from this page contained a message stating: 'This page has been blocked due to the production of criminal content and based on the criminal instances listed in the Cyber Crimes Law.' No explanation has yet been provided regarding Mr. Ahmadi's situation and charges, nor has his court been held. The website 'Ruydad24', quoting lawyer Hooshang Pourbabayi, noted that the blocking of media activists' Instagram pages indicates that 'individuals' private spaces and social media are private until they are used to encourage people to commit anti-security acts or corruption, prostitution, or false news. No one has the right to invade individuals' private spaces.' According to him, 'the law states that agents cannot restrict individuals' virtual content without a judicial order and respect for individual rights.' Mr. Amin, a media activist, has recently been forced to delete all his posts on Instagram. He told Radio Farda: 'In recent months, I have been interrogated by the Ministry of Intelligence and the judiciary. Some of the questions were about stories I had shared in a limited space, but they had printouts of all my pages. My political and social stances and even reports I had published in official newspapers were contested by them.' The final request or order to be freed from lengthy interrogation sessions was to delete all posts and to place this post: 'Access to the requested website is not possible.'