Suicide; A Heavy Price Imposed by the Islamic Republic on a Former VOA Collaborator

Warning: Contains content related to suicide. Nothing is more important than human life. If you are thinking about suicide, please contact these special numbers for help: In Iran: Social Emergency 123, Consultant Voice 1480, or Tehran Psychiatric Emergency 44508200. In the USA: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 18002738255, or National Crisis and Suicide Prevention Line 988. In Canada: 911 or 18334564566. In the UK: 116123 and in Afghanistan: 119. The suicide of Kianoush Sanjari, a journalist, former collaborator of VOA, and human rights activist in Tehran, on Wednesday, November 23, 1403, became the headline of the most important news in Persian media and social media. The news of his death was initially published by several prominent users on the social media platform X and was confirmed shortly after by media sources including VOA. X was where Kianoush Sanjari had called for the release of several political prisoners a day before and had threatened to end his life if this demand was not met by the Islamic Republic. The special program "Evening News" of VOA on the evening of November 23 was dedicated to examining the reasons behind Kianoush Sanjari's action. Ahmad Batebi, who had known and collaborated with Kianoush Sanjari since the early years of his imprisonment and later at VOA, identified Kianoush's concern as Iran and stated: "Despite having a good job and life in America, he always cared about freedom, normal life, and basic rights in Iran, and for this reason, he could not turn a blind eye to the suffering of the Iranian people and left his life in the United States to return to his homeland." He referred to Kianoush Sanjari's chosen method of protesting against the oppression of "Khamenei and his accomplices" and added: "The criminal Islamic Republic, which has no ear to hear its opponents, forces them to shout this oppression through hunger strikes, self-immolation, and suicide to make their voices heard to the world." Forough Kananian, a social science researcher, also stated in the VOA "Evening News" program that the self-inflicted death of a journalist was the only way for his voice to be heard on the path to freedom and emphasized: "This method is not the correct way to protest because the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom,' which is the fundamental slogan of the Iranian people's revolution, emphasizes life within itself and considers it essential for achieving freedom." She held the Islamic Republic and its officials entirely responsible for the current state of Iran and added: "If the voices of Kianoush and others like him are not heard, it is because people in the Islamic Republic have reached a misery where they only want to get through today to tomorrow and survive these calamities." At the same time, Prince Reza Pahlavi expressed his condolences on social media regarding Kianoush Sanjari's death, stating that the Islamic Republic is a government of death and execution, and our nation wants life, therefore we must not allow this government to take away the motivation for life from the Iranian people. Michael Abramowitz, President of VOA, expressed deep sorrow over the death of Kianoush Sanjari in a message to the Persian section staff, stating: "I was very saddened to hear about the death of our former colleague, Kianoush Sanjari." He also expressed sympathy for the Iranian people, saying: "Despite unimaginable repression, brave Iranians continue to risk their lives to have their voices heard. I have great respect for those who use their voices to bring the truth to the people of Iran. This includes many of you and certainly Kianoush as well." Kianoush Sanjari, a former VOA journalist, blogger, and human rights activist, was born in 1982 in Tehran and began his political and social activities during his student years. He was involved in the United Student Front and the Committee of Human Rights Reporters and was repeatedly arrested for publishing reports on the situation of political prisoners and exposing human rights violations, spending some time in prison. His reports included documenting the poor conditions of political prisoners, the violent behavior of security agents, and other human rights violations, which were published in various media and especially on his personal blog. In 2006, after enduring severe security pressures, he was forced to leave Iran. He initially sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan and then, with the help of Amnesty International, was transferred to Norway. He later immigrated to the United States and continued his media activities in exile. After arriving in the United States, he collaborated with VOA and organizations such as the Bromand Foundation and the Iran Human Rights Organization, providing reports on the human rights situation and political prisoners in Iran. After several years of living in exile, Kianoush Sanjari decided to return to Iran in October 2016, aiming to take care of his sick mother. His return took place despite potential dangers and threats, and a few days after entering Iran, he was arrested by security forces and sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was transferred to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital during his imprisonment and faced severe pressures. He had revealed the psychological torture he endured during this period in an interview with VOA.