Politics
In late September, Iran’s judiciary announced that it had seized the assets of individuals accused of “cooperating with hostile governments.”
In late September, Iran’s judiciary announced that it had seized the assets of individuals accused of “cooperating with hostile governments.” The move is part of a plan to confiscate the assets of nearly 400 people living abroad, including journalists, activists, artists and athletes. Amir Sultan Zadeh, an exiled independent journalist who has also worked for Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), says: “The only property I own in Iran is a bookshelf at my parents’ home.” He discovered that his name had been included on a government list, which Iranian state media has labelled the “traitors to the homeland,” whose assets were to be confiscated. Earlier this year, he posted a photograph of his book collection online, writing: “This is the only property I own in Iran. If you enjoy reading books, come and seize these as well.”
Sultan Zadeh said his bank account in Iran had also been frozen. It contained the equivalent of approximately $555, which he used to buy gifts and flowers for his family on special occasions. He described his inclusion on the list as a “grave injustice,” stressing: “I have done nothing against Iran. Everything I have said or stood for has primarily been aimed at improving the lives of the Iranian people.” According to him, some of his relatives have cut ties with his family because of his journalistic work. Sultan Zadeh said: “When people hear about a journalist working abroad, some who automatically adopt the government’s narrative assume that the person is a spy. In their view, a journalist is someone who is paid to collect information.” The exiled journalist said the pressure eventually extended to his father’s workplace. “My father lost his job because of me, and my mother is constantly worried because of me. Every time the phone rings, she has to wonder who might be calling,” he said. To protect his family, Sultan Zadeh also stopped communicating with them directly for several months, maintaining contact only through an intermediary.
Pressure on independent journalists is part of a recurring pattern in the Islamic Republic of Iran. During periods of political tension, Western media organizations and journalists are frequently accused of being agents of hostile intelligence agencies such as the CIA or Mossad, or of spreading subversive propaganda. Authorities have several means at their disposal to monitor journalists, including hacking their social media accounts and recording their conversations. Such information is subsequently used as evidence against their contacts inside Iran. A journalist based in Iran, who requested anonymity, said that reporting on detainees, state executions and the treatment of protesters involves serious risks and restrictions. “Journalists can write only in an extremely limited and censored manner. In their reports, they are required to follow the government’s official narrative,” the journalist said. Journalists working in Iran must carefully consider the potential legal consequences of their reporting. This limits their ability to conduct independent investigations, maintain contact with sources and cover sensitive subjects. Over the past four decades, however, press legislation has been amended several times and its scope has been expanded. Under the law, media professionals are required not to endanger the Islamic Republic, insult religious leaders or the Supreme Leader, or broadcast false information. The broad and ambiguous wording of these provisions gives authorities considerable latitude to interfere in media activities.
Persistent pressure and the risk of being targeted by the authorities have forced many journalists to leave the country. Omid Barin, an independent journalist who occasionally works for DW, said: “I was forced into exile because of my journalistic activities.” Speaking to DW, he said the pressure had “certainly made me more cautious and sensitive about maintaining contact with my sources inside the country, so that I do not put them at risk.” Barin declined to disclose details of the threats against him, fearing that doing so could put people close to him in danger. However, he said the underlying message of the threats was clear: someone in Iran wants him either to abandon journalism or to stay away from sensitive subjects.
