Iran’s Journalists Face Escalating Legal Repression and Intimidation

06 January 2025 – Iran – 

Iranian journalists are experiencing an intensifying wave of repression, with both domestic and diaspora reporters subjected to legal harassment, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics targeting their families. A recent IranWire report reveals that in 2024 alone, Iranian authorities initiated at least 256 legal cases against journalists, including 36 arrests and 11 prison sentences.

This crackdown is no longer limited to political journalists. It now extends to those reporting on environmental issues, economic challenges, and social unrest. Freelancers, online commentators, and journalists affiliated with international outlets have increasingly become targets of the regime’s broad campaign to stifle dissent and control public narratives.

One disturbing trend is the targeting of family members to silence journalists living abroad. In June 2025, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards reportedly detained the parents and brother of a London-based journalist working for Iran International. The family was coerced into pressuring the journalist to resign, with authorities dictating statements over a phone call. This extraterritorial intimidation tactic reflects a growing pattern of state-sponsored transnational repression.

Notable journalists such as Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who broke the story of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody, were imprisoned in 2022. Though recently pardoned, their cases illustrate the harsh punishments journalists face for reporting on state abuses. Meanwhile, Nazila Maroufian, known for her coverage of women’s rights and defiance of the mandatory hijab law, has been repeatedly arrested and harassed.

Journalists are often charged under vague laws like “spreading false information,” “propaganda against the state,” or “colluding with hostile entities,” which allow authorities to detain them indefinitely, deny legal representation, and issue harsh sentences without due process.

These actions create a climate of fear, forcing many journalists into self-censorship or exile. Advocacy groups are calling for stronger international pressure on Iran to uphold press freedom, provide legal protection for journalists, and end retaliatory actions against their families. Without urgent global intervention, Iran’s press freedom crisis threatens not only the safety of reporters but also the public’s right to truth and accountability.

Reference –

Iran’s Journalists Face Widening Legal Challenges