Two Journalists and Environmental Activists Arrested in Rasht

Government agents arrested two journalists and environmental activists, Nasim Tavafzadeh and Halaleh Nategh, in Rasht. According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, these two journalists were arrested on Saturday, November 11, and are involved with the news agency 'Moroor' as well as the environmental organization 'Sabzkaraan Balin.' The report states that Nasim Tavafzadeh, the editor-in-chief of 'Moroor' and the director of 'Sabzkaraan Balin,' was arrested by the Intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Nasim Tavafzadeh, considered an environmental activist in Gilan, particularly works on waste management issues. No information has been released regarding the reasons for their arrest or their place of detention. Several journalists and environmental activists have been summoned or imprisoned in recent days. Nasim Soltanbeigi and Saeedeh Shafiei, two journalists who were sentenced to prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court, were summoned on Sunday, November 12, to serve their sentences at Branch 1 of the Evin Court of Execution. These women journalists have been accused of 'collusion and conspiracy to commit a crime against national security' and 'propaganda against the regime.' Additionally, see: Pressure on journalists in Iran; two more journalists are imprisoned in Evin. Manijeh Moozhan, a journalist and translator, was also arrested on Wednesday, November 8. Judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic have recently summoned Ehsan Badaghi, a journalist for the Faraz news agency, Matin Ghafarian, the manager of the Roozaroos news channel, Elaheh Mousavi, an environmental journalist, and Hadi Kasai Zadeh, the editor-in-chief of the monthly 'Meydan Azadi.' On the other hand, Gholamhossein Karbaschi, the editor-in-chief of the Ham Mihan newspaper, and Farimah Sheikh Al-Islami, the editor-in-chief of the Parsineh news website, have been found guilty in the Political and Press Crimes Court. Furthermore, see: Summoning of four journalists and the conviction of two media managers in Iran. Pressure on journalists in Iran intensified with the onset of nationwide protests at the end of September 2022, and with the arrest of at least 73 journalists and photojournalists in the second half of last year, press freedom has increasingly been in jeopardy over the past 45 years. According to the latest report from Reporters Without Borders on media freedom published on May 2, 2023, Iran ranks 177th out of 180 countries worldwide. A journalist residing in Iran previously told Voice of America that 'pressures on the media in Iran' have 'intensified significantly' following the nationwide protests in the second half of 2022, and the expectation of the Islamic Republic from the media is 'to produce propaganda bulletins,' and due to 'critical analyses,' they are pressured under vague titles such as 'blackening.' The wife of Niloufar Hamedi: We protested the unjust court ruling. The arrest of Pakhshan Azizi, a jailed journalist, continues. Intensified pressure on journalists; Manijeh Moozhan, an economic journalist, was arrested. A legal case has been formed for two female journalists at the Tehran Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office.