Raisi's Government Requests Governors to Report Instances of 'Black Propaganda' to Judicial Authorities

The head of the Public Information Council of the thirteenth government has requested judicial action against journalists who, according to him, harm the 'psychological security' of society. Based on this letter, which has been circulated on social media, Sepehr Khalaji has asked governors across the country to monitor news closely and report 'instances and false news' that are published with aims such as 'black propaganda, creating despair,' and 'inciting social unrest,' which 'harm the psychological security of society' to judicial authorities. This letter was issued on July 10 of this year and emphasizes its 'urgent' nature. Journalist Ehsan Badaghi, by sharing a copy of the letter, deemed the request to crack down on media as audacious. The encouragement of government agencies to report journalists to judicial bodies comes at a time when Ebrahim Raisi announced on August 8, on the occasion of Journalist Day, that he had not filed complaints against any media outlet. The newspaper 'Jomhouri Islami' reacted to the statements of the thirteenth government head, emphasizing that 'the government is not just the president' and he should instruct 'all government-affiliated agencies to tolerate media criticism.' In recent months, as the anniversary of the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police approaches, security pressures on media activists have increased. According to the latest report from Reporters Without Borders, Iran ranks 177th in media freedom among 180 countries worldwide. Thus, media freedom is only worse in three countries: Vietnam, China, and North Korea. Reporters Without Borders has described the state of media freedom in Iran as 'concerning' and labeled the Islamic Republic as 'one of the most repressive governments in the world.' In the second half of 2022, dozens of journalists were arrested in Iran, and some of them, including Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, remain in custody. The U.S. State Department has stated that the prosecution of Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi, who reported on Mahsa Amini's death, aims to 'intimidate journalists in Iran.' The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for the 'unconditional' release of Nazila Maroofian, an investigative journalist. Hussein Yazdi, a critical journalist, has been arrested again. Three imprisoned female journalists in Iran won the UNESCO Press Freedom Prize. The International Federation of Journalists urged the Islamic Republic not to suppress media under the pretext of protests. Another sports journalist and a labor journalist from ILNA were arrested in Tehran.