US Congratulates Exiled Iranian Media for Nomination for Press Freedom Award

The US Department of State praised the 'brave journalism' of Persian-language media outside of Iran and congratulated the nomination of Iran International, BBC Persian, and other 'exiled media' for the annual Press Freedom Award by Reporters Without Borders. The Persian-language account of the US Department of State on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) added in a post on Thursday: 'The United States stands with all journalists committed to revealing the truth, even in the face of threats and intimidation.' The Department of State further stated, 'We commend these news organizations and their journalists for their courage and resilience.' The department also noted the 'vital importance of a free press' and emphasized that US support for 'press freedom around the world is unwavering.' Reporters Without Borders announced that the 32nd annual Press Freedom Awards ceremony will be held on December 4, 2024, in Washington, D.C. According to the statement, 25 journalists, journalist teams, photographers, and news organizations from around the world have been selected for awards in four categories: 'Courage, Impact, Independence, and the Lucas Dolega-Saïf Photo Award,' as well as a new category 'Africa Investigative Journalism Award - Mohamed Maiga.' Reporters Without Borders, in the section related to Iranian media in exile, referred to 'unprecedented pressure and attacks' on journalists from these media outlets, adding that the Islamic Republic has labeled them as 'enemies' and openly threatens them. Pressure on Journalists from Voice of America In leaked documents during the hacking of the Iranian Judiciary by the hacking group 'Justice Ali,' evidence was published revealing the fabrication of cases against several journalists from Voice of America and other media outlets, and the sending of their prison sentences to the execution department. Additionally, see: Secret prison sentences issued for Voice of America journalists; 'Justice Ali' published several other documents. According to a document released during the hacking of the Judiciary's documents, cases against several journalists working in the Persian section of Voice of America, Radio Farda, BBC, Manoto, and Iran International were sent to the 'Criminal Execution Branch of the Tehran Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office' in May 2022 with the announcement of 'prison sentences' for the charge of 'propaganda against the regime.' The names of journalists including Aryan Raisbaf, Sara Dehghan, Mehdi Flahati, Hamideh Armideh, Niyousha Boghrati, Roozbeh Boulahri, Mahtab Vahidi Rad, Fahimeh Khodrheidari, Payam Yazdian, Arash Sigarchi, and Mehdi Aghazamani, from Voice of America, as well as the late Behrouz Sooraserafil, a former journalist and colleague, and Setareh Derakhshesh, the former head of the Persian section of Voice of America, are seen in this document. In another case, with complaints from 'Bank Sarmaye,' 'the Attorney General's Office,' and 'the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization,' several journalists including Niyousha Boghrati, Mehdi Flahati, Aryan Raisbaf, Arash Sigarchi, Mahtab Vahidi Rad, Hamideh Armideh, Sara Dehghan, Roozbeh Boulahri, Mehdi Aghazamani, Fahimeh Khodrheidari, Payam Yazdian, from Voice of America, as well as the late Behrouz Sooraserafil, a former journalist and colleague, and Setareh Derakhshesh, the former head of the Persian section of Voice of America, have been accused of 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' Previously, among the hacked documents by the 'Justice Ali' hacking group, evidence against journalists and staff of Voice of America and other Persian-language media outside of Iran was published by the Revolutionary Court for 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' A spokesperson for the US Department of State, in response to the leaked documents regarding the issuance of absentia sentences for several Voice of America journalists, stated that such behavior from the Islamic Republic government in Iran, known worldwide for suppressing media, is 'not surprising.' Additionally, see: Exclusive; US State Department's response to the issuance of absentia sentences for Voice of America journalists: The Iranian government is known for 'suppressing media.' This spokesperson responded to Voice of America's Persian section, saying, 'We cannot confirm the authenticity of the leaked documents, but the intimidation of journalists outside the country by the Iranian regime and the suppression of media inside is well known to the world.' He continued: 'The absentia condemnation of journalists who are based outside the country and play a role in exposing the regime's violations would not be surprising.' Recently, it was also reported that Reza Valizadeh, a dual-national journalist who returned to Iran in March 2024, was arrested in Tehran earlier this month. An informed source in Iran confirmed this news to Voice of America, stating that Valizadeh is facing charges of 'collaborating with Persian-language media outside the country.'