Threat from Iran's Attorney General Against Media Coverage of Syrian Developments

Following Ali Khamenei's warning against media activists who, according to him, 'empty the hearts of the people,' the Attorney General's Office threatened media outlets with legal action if they were found to be 'disrupting the psychological security of society.' On Wednesday, December 21, Khamenei commented on the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, stating, 'If someone speaks in a way that implies emptying the hearts of the people, it is a crime and must be dealt with.' He further stated, 'Some are doing this outside the country with Persian-language media, and they should be dealt with differently, but no one inside should do this.' He did not elaborate on what 'dealing differently' with foreign Persian-language media entails. Two days prior, Mohseni Eje'i, the head of the judiciary, emphasized the need for 'continuous monitoring' of social media and media activities, urging the Attorney General's Office and security agencies to take 'preventive measures' against what he termed 'psychological operations or the pumping of lies aimed at disrupting psychological or social security.' In this context, the Attorney General's Office issued a statement on Wednesday evening asking media and online activists to refrain from discussing topics that 'disturb the psychological security of society and instill fear in people regarding the situation.' The statement referenced legal action against two social media activists, one media outlet, and individuals participating in an interview with that outlet on December 18, indicating that relevant agencies had been instructed to monitor social media and refer media or individuals who 'spread rumors or disrupt the psychological security of society' to the judiciary. The report did not specify the names of the media, experts, and social media activists who have faced legal action, nor did it clarify what type of content regarding the events in Syria constitutes 'disrupting the psychological security of society' from the Attorney General's perspective. Nevertheless, Khamenei, in his first speech after Assad's fall, harshly criticized analysts who speak of 'weakening the Islamic Republic and the resistance axis,' labeling them as 'ignorant and unaware of the meaning of resistance.' He added, 'They think that with the weakening of resistance, Islamic Iran will also weaken.' In the Islamic Republic's terminology, groups supported by Iran in the region, from Hamas to Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, are referred to as the 'resistance axis.'