Ten Iranian journalists were arrested in January as the government continued its crackdown on dissent ahead of March’s parliamentary elections. Recent reports identified three previously undisclosed arrests. Critical blogger Mehdi Khazali was arrested by security forces in Tehran on 9 January and charged with “insulting the supreme leader.” Authorities arrested Paris-based journalist Saeed Razavi Faghih on 17 January as he arrived at a Tehran airport; and on the same day security forces in Tabriz arrested Payman Pakmehr, founder of Tabriz news website, which covers the arrests of local activists, and charged him with “propagating against the regime.” Seven other journalists were also arrested last month.
NEWS
Iran: Press crackdown continues as elections approach
Ten Iranian journalists were arrested in January as the government continued its crackdown on dissent ahead of March’s parliamentary elections. Recent reports identified three previously undisclosed arrests. Critical blogger Mehdi Khazali was arrested by security forces in Tehran on 9 January and charged with “insulting the supreme leader.” Authorities arrested Paris-based journalist Saeed Razavi Faghih on 17 January […]
By Marta Cooper
03 Feb 12
READ MORE
-
Index on Censorship welcomes the release of Palestinian human rights defender and lawyer Diala Ayesh
Ayesh was released from administrative detention on 14 January 2025 by Israeli authorities
-
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup is just another attempt at sportswashing
Undemocratic states that seek to exploit soft power to hide their human rights abuses should be condemned, not celebrated
-
How can Gaza rebuild its culture?
With a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas now imminent, Index reflects on the damage done to Palestine’s cultural institutions
-
What could Assad’s downfall mean for freedom of expression in Syria?
Syrian journalists have been subjected to free speech violations for decades. Could the future hold hope for a more open media landscape?