In the ongoing security and judicial actions against journalists and media outlets since the start of the presidential election campaign in Iran, the Committee for Monitoring and Tracking Media Electoral Violations has announced that seven media outlets will receive a “warning.” Previously, the committee had issued “warnings” to a total of 10 other media outlets in two separate instances.
According to the Public Relations Department of the Deputy for Media Affairs and Advertising of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and based on the decision of the Committee for Monitoring and Tracking Media Electoral Violations, which held a meeting on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at the General Directorate of Domestic Press and News Agencies of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, three newspapers, two news agencies, and two news websites will receive “warnings.”
The Committee for Monitoring and Tracking Media Electoral Violations cited the following as violations committed by these seven media outlets: “biased support by some media for certain candidates (subject of Article 68 of the Presidential Election Law), publication of content including insults and slander, defamation of candidates, spreading rumors, publishing false information, and the release of fabricated polling results regarding the election and presidential candidates.” The Public Relations Department did not disclose the names of these seven media outlets in its announcement.
On June 16, 2024, the committee also decided to issue “warnings” to two nationwide newspapers and four news websites. Similarly, on June 23, 2024, the committee announced that three newspapers and three news websites would receive “warnings.”
It appears that the legal implication of a warning to media outlets and newspapers is a threat to initiate judicial proceedings. On June 6, 2024, the Iranian Press Supervisory Board issued an electoral directive, parts of which effectively restrict freedom of speech and disrupt independent reporting, threatening Iranian journalists and media activists with inhumane punishments like flogging, and warning media outlets of closures and judicial actions.