UN Security Council Involvement in Journalists' Arrests: 'Their Freedom Won't Take Long'

Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, confirmed that the recent arrests of journalists were 'to protect journalists from becoming a conduit for the enemy,' and announced the Council's 'involvement' in the case, stating that 'the freedom of the journalists will not take long.' According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Mr. Shamkhani responded on Tuesday, November 10, at a press exhibition to the question of whether the arrests were to protect journalists from becoming a conduit for the enemy, affirming, 'Absolutely.' This comes despite his earlier reaction where he agreed that the recent arrests were politically motivated. The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council added, 'No one intends to destroy anyone, rest assured.' He also stated that the purpose of the recent arrests was to make journalists aware that the U.S. is mysteriously acting through the hands of journalists, whether intentionally or unintentionally. According to Shamkhani, the arrested journalists 'believed such a thing' and 'now this issue must be communicated to others so that other journalists remain cautious.' He also reported that 'this issue has been communicated to some journalists via text messages to be careful about this problem so they do not fall into this whirlpool.' Shamkhani noted, 'It seems these friends do not have a problem, and after being told their actions were wrong, they acknowledged this. However, some of them claimed they were unaware.' The recent arrests of several journalists have escalated tensions between President Hassan Rouhani and Iran's judiciary. Nevertheless, the Iranian Minister of Interior stated that the judiciary is expected to provide 'documents and evidence' regarding this claim. The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council also stated that the recent arrests of journalists 'are a form of protection for their own health,' adding that 'perhaps some unintended actions were taken by some individuals who fell into a whirlpool that is not beneficial.' In another part of his speech, in response to a question about the Supreme National Security Council's possible action to lift the house arrest of Green Movement leaders, he first said, 'Let me drink a glass of water,' and then added, 'Given my age and fatigue from this morning, I feel compelled not to answer this question, as I will get mixed up.' Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two candidates who contested the results of the 2009 presidential election and led the protest movement afterward, have been under house arrest since winter 2010 without a formal trial. Zahra Rahnavard, Mr. Mousavi's wife, is also under house arrest with her husband.