This statistical report is the first issue of the monthly reports by the Defending Free Flow of Information organization in 2024. It includes data related to the suppression of media, journalists, and citizen journalists in Iran from January 1, 2024, to January 31, 2024 (Dey 11, 1402 – Bahman 11, 1402).
This report is divided into two sections: statistics on the suppression of the free flow of information and a chronicle of disruptions in information dissemination in Iran.
The findings of this report are based on conversations with knowledgeable sources, reports published in partner media outlets, statements from officials and state media, and statistical analysis of the collected data.
The statistics and events recorded in this report only include data that the Defending Free Flow of Information organization was able to collect, verify, and document. Due to the multi-layered mechanism of suppression in Iran, the number of violations of the right of Iranian citizens to free access to information, and the number of media, journalists, and citizen journalists facing suppression by the Islamic Republic of Iran, is likely higher than what is documented in this report.
According to the documented events by the Defending Free Flow of Information organization, during the period from January 1, 2024, to January 31, 2024 (Dey 11, 1402 – Bahman 11, 1402), a total of 25 journalists or media managers—comprising six women and 19 men—were subjected to judicial prosecution.
Within just 31 days, three journalists were arrested, one journalist was detained to serve a prison sentence, and four journalists were collectively sentenced in separate cases to three years in prison, a 20 million Toman fine, two years of exile, a two-year travel ban, and a two-year ban on social media activity.
In the cases formed or verdicts issued against journalists in January, the repeated charges were “spreading lies with the intent to disturb public opinion” with 10 instances, “propaganda against the system” with four instances, “removing hijab” with two instances, “insulting the leadership” with one instance, and “disclosing classified documents” with one instance.
During January 2024, political and press courts issued convictions for eight journalists, charged five journalists or media managers, confiscated the property of one journalist, and security agencies seized the personal belongings of another journalist.
Judicial and security officials of the Islamic Republic recorded at least 18 violations against imprisoned journalists in January: six cases of depriving imprisoned journalists of family visits or phone calls, two cases of detention in inhumane conditions, two cases of denying detained journalists access to a lawyer, two cases of not providing a judicial warrant during arrest, two cases of detaining prisoners beyond the legal period in temporary detention, two cases of psychological torture, and two cases of prolonged solitary confinement.
In January 2024, media outlets and their managers also experienced a difficult month. By the order of the Committee for Determining Instances of Criminal Content, the news-analytical site Didarnews was filtered as the first media outlet in 2024.
During this month, at least 13 newspapers and news websites faced judicial prosecution, four media outlets were sued, press courts convicted eight media outlets, and two media outlets were acquitted in the formed courts.