Reza Valizadeh, a former journalist for the Persian section of Radio Free Europe (Radio Farda), was detained by the security apparatus of the Islamic Republic of Iran after returning to the country.
Radio Farda, citing a relative of Valizadeh, reported that he ended his collaboration with the media outlet in November 2022. After spending some time outside of Iran, he returned and was ultimately “detained by the security agencies of the Islamic Republic approximately three weeks ago.”
According to the source identified as “a relative of Reza Valizadeh,” Radio Farda reported that this journalist “is facing charges including collaboration with Persian-language media outlets outside the country.”
No information is currently available regarding the reasons for Valizadeh’s return to Iran. Meanwhile, the judicial and security agencies of the Islamic Republic have not commented on the fate of this journalist.
However, in the latest tweet posted on Reza Valizadeh’s X account, he wrote: “I entered Tehran on March 7, 2024. Prior to this, I had incomplete negotiations with the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards. Ultimately, I returned to my country after 14 years at my own responsibility and without even a verbal guarantee.”
It is unclear under what circumstances this tweet was published, especially considering that in another tweet from Valizadeh’s account, he referred to the security pressures on his family and relatives to coerce him into returning to Iran: “My older brother was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran. My father was summoned, and even distant and close relatives were called into the Intelligence Directorate in Kurdistan. They have approached our neighbor to inquire about my mother’s situation to assess before my potential return home. My family has been pressured to convince me to come back.”
The Defending Free Flow of Information Organization (DeFFI) expresses its deep concern about the fate of Reza Valizadeh, citing the Islamic Republic’s history of illegal actions against journalists and Iranian media. DeFFI calls on Iranian judicial authorities to provide information regarding the ambiguities surrounding Valizadeh’s fate and to facilitate his immediate release if this dual-national citizen is detained.