Ongoing Uncertainty Regarding the Status of 7 Employees and Financial Managers of the 'Farday-e Eghtesad' Media

Seventy-two hours after government agents entered the office of 'Farday-e Eghtesad' media in Tehran, the status of at least five journalists and two financial managers from this media outlet remains unknown. Currently, there is no information regarding the fate of five employees of 'Farday-e Eghtesad' named Ali Mirzakhani, Behzad Bahmannejad, Ali Tasnimi, Nikan Khabbazi, and Mehrdad Askari, along with two financial managers named Ali Nourian and Masoud Malekpour. It is unclear whether these seven individuals are still trapped in the building of this media outlet or have been transferred to another location. The legal consulting website Dadban referred to this incident as 'involuntary disappearance' and attributed responsibility to the judiciary and security agencies. Mani Basharzad, a journalist from 'Farday-e Eghtesad', previously wrote in a note on Instagram: 'We ourselves do not know exactly what has happened and are bewildered by the situation.' Meryam Shakirani, another journalist, also wrote on X (formerly Twitter): 'Latest news indicates that Ali Mirzakhani, the editor-in-chief, Behzad Bahmannejad, the deputy editor-in-chief, and three video journalists have not returned home.' Government forces entered the building of 'Farday-e Eghtesad' on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 6, seizing the journalists' equipment and preventing their exit. After several hours, some journalists were allowed to leave the building, although the status of at least five of these journalists remains unclear. According to some reports, last week, government agents similarly detained employees of Mabna, a subsidiary of the Kian Group, for a day regarding an electronic file about circumventing sanctions. Ensaf News reported, citing Majid Zamani, the founder of the Kian Group, that this group is considered the financial sponsor of 'Farday-e Eghtesad', and given the presence of this media outlet's office in the building housing some companies of the Kian Group, the employees of 'Farday-e Eghtesad' were also inspected and interrogated. The judiciary officials of the Islamic Republic have not yet provided information regarding this incident. Pressure on journalists in Iran and the detention of some of them intensified with the onset of nationwide protests at the end of September 2022, and with the arrest of dozens of journalists and photojournalists in the second half of last year, press freedom has increasingly been under threat in the past 45 years. Additionally, see: Pressure on journalists in Iran; two more journalists are imprisoned in Evin. According to a report by Reporters Without Borders on media freedom published on May 2, 2023, Iran ranks 177th out of 180 countries in the world. 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 are pressured due to 'critical analyses' with vague titles like 'black propaganda'. The judiciary considers the detention of a journalist and the inspection of a media building unrelated 'to media activities'. Continuing pressure on media activists in Iran; prison sentences issued for two female journalists. Nasrin Hosseini, a journalist, was imprisoned on charges of 'spreading falsehoods' and not adhering to 'Islamic hijab'. The publication of statistics on imprisoned journalists worldwide in 2023; Iran and Israel rank sixth with 17 individuals.