Pressure on Journalists in Iran Increased 'Several Times Last Month'

"The Organization for Defending Free Flow of Information" states that during the last month, coinciding with the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian's government, pressures on journalists in Iran continued, and more judicial sentences were issued against them. This non-profit organization, which operates in the field of freedom of expression, reported in its latest monthly report that in August, from July 11 to September 10, harassment and judicial sentences against journalists increased "fivefold" compared to the previous month. The convictions of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, each sentenced to five years in prison, the sentencing of Omid Faraghat to six months in prison, and the enforcement of Foad Sadeghi's prison sentence were among the rulings issued last month. Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi were acquitted of the charge of "collaboration with a hostile foreign government." Last month, three journalists from Abadan were summoned to the Revolutionary Court, two journalists in Iranshahr faced physical assault and complaints, the Press Court found the responsible managers of Shargh Online and Etemad guilty, and the prosecutor of Isfahan filed charges against the manager of Bouyr News. Complaints from the Ministry of Roads against the journalist of Eghtesad Online, the issuance of summons by the Tabriz Prosecutor's Office in three separate cases, holding a trial for the Hamdeli newspaper in Zanjan, and a knife attack on Ejlal Ghavami, as well as the prohibition of several journalists from attending the introduction session of the Minister of Communications, were other actions taken against media and journalists last month. According to the Organization for Defending Free Flow of Information, last month, the judicial and security institutions of the Islamic Republic violated the legal rights of journalists in at least 12 cases. According to this report, the number of imprisoned journalists and media activists in Iran reached nine last month. The Organization for Defending Free Flow of Information identifies itself as a non-profit entity established amid the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests and following an unprecedented wave of media and journalist repression and widespread disruption in information dissemination. The organization also noted that Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, agreed last month to the request of the Tehran Journalists' Guild to "withdraw complaints from state institutions against media personnel." However, according to this organization, last month, judicial and state institutions filed complaints against seven journalists and media outlets, and legal cases were opened against them. Among these cases were the complaint of the Shush governor against Mahdi Al-Kathir and the complaint of the IranShahr University of Medical Sciences against Sheida Hassan-Zahi and Mohammad Yasin Jalal-Zahi. The International Federation of Journalists emphasized in its report for the year 1402 (2023) that at least 27 journalists were arrested in Iran last year. Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists, based in New York, announced at the end of December 1402 that Iran is the sixth largest prison for media personnel after China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, and Vietnam.