Reporters Without Borders Criticizes Arrest of Journalists Ahead of Elections

Reporters Without Borders has protested the continued detention of five journalists and the suspension of the Bahar newspaper, stating that the Islamic Republic authorities are heading towards the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections with "preventive repression, summons, and arrests of journalists and media suspensions." On Friday, January 8, the organization reminded in a press release on its website that Eisa Saharkhiz, the former editor of several publications, Ehsan Mazandarani, the editor of Farhikhtegan newspaper, Afrin Chitsaz, a columnist for Iran newspaper, and Saman Safarzadeh, a collaborator with Andisheh Pouya magazine, have been in temporary detention since October 11 and remain "in limbo." Reporters Without Borders also reported that on January 3, Farzad Pourmardadi, a collaborator with several media outlets in Kermanshah, including "Kermanshah Post" and "Nava-ye Vaqt," was "arrested" at his home in Kermanshah after a search of his home and the seizure of his computer, handwritten notes, and work tools. According to the report, Mr. Pourmardadi had been threatened by "principlist media close to the Revolutionary Guards" shortly before his arrest for launching the "Khalagh News" channel on Telegram, which provided information about the province and the upcoming elections. Reporters Without Borders also announced that based on information it has obtained, several other journalists have also been "summoned, interrogated, and threatened by the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence" and "some of them have also been in detention for a while." The organization did not mention the names of these journalists. Reporters Without Borders also noted the suspension of the Bahar newspaper, reminding that Iran ranks 173rd out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index and is one of the five largest prisons in the world for media activists, with 37 journalists and citizen journalists imprisoned. The Bahar newspaper was suspended for the fifth time on Saturday, January 1. Previously, it had been suspended on November 6, 2013, for publishing a note about the first Imam of Shia Islam. After the arrest of Eisa Saharkhiz, Ehsan Mazandarani, Afrin Chitsaz, and Saman Safarzadeh, the Revolutionary Guards announced that they had arrested "members of a Western government infiltration network." Meanwhile, Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's Attorney General, referred to these journalists on Wednesday, November 3, as "an infiltration network in the media and social networks" as well as "spies and American pen mercenaries." On the same day, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, warned that "the word infiltration should not be played with." Rouhani's reference is to the concept of "infiltration" mentioned by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who has spoken about it repeatedly in recent months and warned about it, and following him, several senior officials in the government, including the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, have made threats. In contrast, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, also confirmed on Saturday, November 15, that the aim of these arrests was "political settling of scores" and emphasized that the worst way to counter infiltration is to "factionalize it." Meanwhile, Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran in the parliament, expressed concern that the aim of these arrests might be "to create terror in the expression of journalists before the elections." However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, announced on Wednesday, November 24, that "the essence of the issue of infiltration and the importance of this matter should not be downplayed by referring to possible misuse and factionalism." In this context, Eisa Saharkhiz, the imprisoned journalist, has gone on hunger strike again. The suspension of the Bahar newspaper is based on the accusation of "damaging the foundation of the Islamic Republic." Iran is the "third largest prison" in the world for journalists in 2015. Criticism of Hashemi regarding the "hype of state media" about infiltration. Changing the battlefield of "proxy forces"; war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of opponents and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis.