Iran arrests 2 journalists for allegedly sharing cartoon mocking government’s COVID-19 response
Washington, D.C., April 27, 2020 — Iranian authorities should immediately drop their investigations into journalists Masoud Heydari and Hamid Haghjoo, and let them work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Iranian medical schools sue journalists over coronavirus coverage
Since February 2020, two medical schools in Iran have filed criminal suits against at least two journalists over their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, according to reports by the International Federation of Journalists and the Human Rights Activists News Agency, two exile-run outlets that cover news in Iran.
Iranian journalist detained over coronavirus coverage
On April 2, 2020, security agents in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah arrested and detained Kurdish Iranian journalist Gholamreza Noori Ala for several hours and then released him, according to a report posted to Telegram by the Tehran Journalists Association, a local trade group, and an employee of the association, who spoke to CPJ…
Iran bans printing of all newspapers, citing spread of coronavirus
Washington, D.C., March 31, 2020 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over Iranian authorities’ decision to suspend all newspaper printing and distribution in the country, where newsgathering and distribution is already tightly restricted.
Amid coronavirus pandemic, Iran covers up crucial information and threatens journalists
In recent months, the stability of the Iranian government has been threatened by widespread protests in late 2019 and the shooting down of a Ukrainian civilian aircraft in January 2020 amid heightened tensions with the U.S. The latest threat is the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Iran harder than any country except China or Italy.…
To cement internet control, Iran helps journalists get online
In early 2020, a journalist in Iran received a form from Iran’s National E-commerce Union, a nominally independent group that is close to the government, requesting their name, the news website they work for, and their IP address. “With all due respect,” it read, “provide the following information to prevent any potential problem during future…
Iranian authorities detain journalist Mohammad Mosaed again for social media posts
On February 22, 2020, intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arrested and interrogated freelance economic reporter Mohammad Mosaed for several hours over recent social media posts critical of the government and suspended his social media accounts, according to a brief interview he had with the BBC Persian Service a few hours after…
