Shortly after the speech by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his order to confront Iranian journalists and media, the Attorney General’s Office announced that it has filed charges against several media outlets and journalists.
On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Ali Khamenei, in his first public speech after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, referred to the dissemination of certain news and analyses in Iranian media regarding this event as an instance of “scaring and demoralizing the people” and ordered that action be taken against media outlets and journalists both inside and outside of Iran.
In his speech, Ali Khamenei stated: “Some outside… are speaking to the people in Persian on foreign televisions, foreign radios, foreign newspapers, painting a picture to scare and demoralize the people. They must be dealt with differently. However, no one inside should do this. If someone inside speaks in an analysis or statement in a way that implies demoralizing the people, that is a crime and must be pursued.”
Shortly after the publication of Ali Khamenei’s speech, the Attorney General’s Office issued a statement: “Appropriate measures will be taken against those who undermine the mental security of the people, and this process will continue with special monitoring.” Meanwhile, the official news agency of the judiciary, Mizan, reported two separate pieces of news regarding the Attorney General’s charges against “one newspaper,” “two political and social media activists,” and “one journalist.” Mizan, without naming the newspaper and citizens against whom charges were filed, wrote: “On December 9, 2024, the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office took legal action against a newspaper and individuals participating in an interview with that newspaper, which undermined the mental security of the people, and charges have been filed against the newspaper and the interviewees.”
The charges filed by the prosecutor’s office against media outlets, media activists, and journalists represent a recurring pattern of suppressing freedom of expression in Iran; a pattern that is repeated verbatim after provocative events in the country.