The Iranian government confirmed a media ban on coverage regarding last week's explosion at Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas where at least 70 people have died and more than 1,000 injured, with the threat of prosecutions confirmed by the judiciary.
Fatemeh Mohajerani, Iran's government spokeswoman, said the decision is aimed at “maintaining a single voice across state institutions.”
She described the directive not as a news blackout, but as a mechanism to “manage the issue properly.”
“The government is not interested in withholding information from the people,” she said, adding that provincial bodies have been instructed not to release information about the explosion’s cause until further notice.
Iran International reported earlier this week that journalists and outlets had received warnings about covering the incident, and described a heavy security presence in Bandar Abbas.
Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said on Wednesday that legal cases have been opened against several media figures for reporting on the blast, with warnings issued to individuals on social media.
Mizan, the judiciary’s official news agency, reported that violators of the media ban would face prosecution for “spreading illegal news.”
“An incident of this scale, with such casualties, demands precise and documented investigation,” he said. “We are waiting for the results to be finalized and announced." Jahangir said.
On Tuesday, The Guardian quoted a Tehran-based reporter speaking on condition of anonymity, who said, “Not only were we warned against ground reporting, we were also banned effectively from sharing reports on social media.”
“In the face of a tragedy such as this, what is there to hide? Either the death toll is way more than 70, or they are suppressing the real cause of the explosion. Following the filing of charges, our newsrooms are also self-regulating in fear that they’ll be facing legal consequences.”
No official casualty figures have been released by the health ministry, which, along with its subsidiaries, was ordered on Sunday to withhold all related information.
Iran International has been contacted independently from a worker at the port citing 29 deaths in one office alone.
