Despite nearly two months having passed since President Masoud Pezeshkian’s directive to withdraw complaints from government entities against journalists and media, a significant number of government officials and institutions have continued to ignore the President’s order and have registered new complaints against media outlets and journalists.
Masoud Pezeshkian, on August 7, 2024, coinciding with Journalists’ Day in Iran, agreed to the request from the Tehran Association of Journalists to “withdraw complaints by government entities against media personnel solely for their journalistic activities.”
However, despite the lack of withdrawal of many prior complaints against journalists and media, officials and government bodies continue to file new complaints against media personnel in Iran. In the latest instance, at least three complaints have been filed against Hadi Kasai Zadeh, the editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine “Midan Azadi” by government officials and institutions.
According to documents received by DeFFI, not only have previous complaints against the editor of “Midan Azadi” not been withdrawn, but the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has also accused Hadi Kasai Zadeh in a new case of “publishing images and materials contrary to public decency and spreading falsehoods.” In another case concerning a complaint from IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting), Kasai Zadeh is accused of “insulting officials and agents and spreading falsehoods.”
In the complaint filed by the Tehran Municipality against the editor of “Midan Azadi,” he is also accused of “spreading falsehoods”; the plaintiff in this case is Seyed Saeed Sadrzaadeh, assistant to the Mayor of Tehran for communications and public demands.
Based on documented cases by DeFFI, in the past two months since the official inauguration of the fourteenth government in Iran, government and judicial entities have filed at least 15 new complaints against journalists and Iranian media outlets.