Tehran – Iran passes law banning interviews with media it deems “hostile”

TEHRAN, October 6 /ATSH-DPA/ – Iran’s parliament has passed a law banning Iranian citizens from giving interviews or taking part in discussions with media outlets or media figures that the state considers “hostile”, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported today.

Lawmakers approved this ban as part of a bill against foreign influence, during a session of parliament.

Under the new law, Iranian citizens will not be allowed to take part in interviews, debates or discussions with television stations, radio stations, websites or personal social media accounts that Iran’s Intelligence Agency has officially declared “hostile”.

The ban will also apply to foreign media that are owned, run or financed by governments Iran considers hostile, such as the United States of America or Israel.

The law will apply to all Iranian nationals, both those living inside Iran and those living abroad. State officials and government authorities, however, will be exempt from this ban.

People who violate the law will face category-six penalties under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code. These can include six months to two years in prison, fines, flogging as decided by the court, or the loss of certain social and civil rights.

The Iranian government argued that some media act as tools of the intelligence services of hostile countries and that cooperation with these media constitutes a threat to national security.

However, international human rights organisations have criticised this measure, saying it is an attempt to restrict citizens’ access to independent media and to hinder reporting on developments related to wars and conflicts.