At least 95 Iranian journalists and media organizations faced 110 judicial and security actions between January and June 2025, according to the Defending Free Flow of Information Organization (DeFFI).
During this period, authorities opened 46 new judicial cases amid a growing crackdown on press freedom.
From January 1 to June 1, suppression of free speech intensified after Masoud Pezeshkian’s election as president, with press freedom indicators hitting unprecedented lows, the group said.
“During this period, the suppression of free information, which had taken on new and complex dimensions since Masoud Pezeshkian’s election as president, expanded significantly," wrote DeFFI.
"Indicators of freedom of expression recorded an unprecedented decline, judicial and security actions against journalists and media outlets increased sharply, and the Islamic Republic escalated cross-border threats against Iranian reporters at an alarming rate."
In the past six months, courts sentenced ten of the journalists collectively to 22 years and three months in prison, the report added.
One of the harshest sentences was given to Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh, imprisoned in Tehran’s Great Prison, and sentenced to 10 years and additional penalties by the Tehran Appeals Court.
The judiciary’s most frequent accusation against journalists was “publishing falsehoods to disturb public opinion.”
Other common charges included “slander and defamation,” “propaganda against the regime,” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “removal of hijab,” and “disclosure of classified documents.”
The DeFFI documented at least 112 violations of journalists’ legal rights during the period. These included arbitrary arrests, denial of access to chosen lawyers, prohibition of family visits or phone contact, seizure of personal belongings without court orders, psychological torture, and physical abuse by security personnel.
Since the Islamic Republic’s founding, Iranian authorities have routinely arrested, tortured, and imprisoned journalists, writers, and activists critical of the government.
Following widespread protests that began in September 2022, repression of the press intensified and shows no sign of easing.
The crackdown coincides with increased pressure after the outbreak of war between Iran and Israel, during which over 700 people have been arrested on allegations of collaboration with Israel.
United Nations experts have urged Iran to end the post-ceasefire repression, warning that “post-conflict situations must not be used as an opportunity to suppress dissent and increase repression.”
