In times of crisis, Iran's political system is looking for scapegoats — and independent journalists, even journalists who have been living in exile for a long time, are high on their list.
At the end of September, Iran's judiciary announced that it had confiscated assets belonging to individuals accused of "cooperation with hostile governments." The measure is part of a previously announced plan targeting around 400 people living abroad, including journalists, activists, artists and athletes, whose assets are to be seized.
"The only thing I own in my parents' house in Iran is a bookshelf," says Amir Soltanzadeh. The exiled freelance journalist, who occasionally works for Germany's international broadcaster DW, discovered his name on a government list, which Iranian state media had labeled "traitors to the homeland." His assets were to be seized. In an online post earlier this year, he published a photo of his book collection and wrote: "This library is my only asset in Iran. If you enjoy reading books, go ahead and confiscate them."
'My father lost his job because of me'
Soltanzadeh said that his bank account in Iran was also frozen. It contained the equivalent of around €500 ($555), which he used, among other things, to buy his family members gifts and flowers for special occasions. He noted it was "unjust" to list him as a traitor.
"I have not acted against Iran," he stressed. "Every position I have taken was ultimately aimed at improving the lives of people in Iran."
Some of his relatives, he said, have cut ties with his family because of his journalistic work.
"When people hear about a journalist working abroad, some who adopt the government's narrative automatically equate that person with a spy. They see a journalist as someone who is paid to gather information," said Soltanzadeh.
This pressure, according to the exiled journalist, eventually extended to his father's workplace.
"My father lost his job because of me. And because of me, my mother lives in constant anxiety — every time the phone rings, she has to wonder who is on the other end."
For several months, Soltanzadeh also cut all direct contact with his family to keep them safe, and only communicated with them through an intermediary.
Regime using vague laws to control media reporting
Pressure against independent journalists is a part of a recurring pattern in the Islamic Republic. In times of political tension, Western media outlets and journalists are often portrayed as agents of hostile intelligence services such as the CIA or Mossad, or mouthpieces spreading subversive propaganda.
The authorities have many tools to spy on reporters, including hacking their social media accounts and intercepting conversations that are later used as evidence against their contacts inside Iran.
Such forms of repression also affect which information ends up reaching the public.
A journalist in Iran, who wanted to stay anonymous, says that reporting on detainees, state executions and the treatment of protesters comes with major risks and restrictions.
"Journalists can only write on their personal pages in a very limited and censored way," the reporter said. "In their reports, they are required to follow the government's official narrative."
Iran-based journalists have to weigh potential legal consequences of their work. This, in turn, constrains their ability to conduct independent research, maintain contact with sources and pursue sensitive topics.
Article 24 of Iran's constitution guarantees freedom of the press. However, the Press Law has been amended and expanded several times over the past four decades. It requires media professionals, among other things, not to endanger the Islamic Republic, not to insult the clergy or the Supreme Leader, and not to disseminate false information. These broadly worded provisions give authorities significant room to interfere in the work of the media.
Danger follows reporters abroad
Many journalists are forced to leave the country due to the constant pressure and the risk of being targeted by the authorities.
"Because of my journalistic work, I had to go into exile," says Omid Barin, a freelance journalist who also occasionally contributes to DW.
Barin's reporting focuses on issues such as human rights violations and the position of ethnic minorities in Iran. The pressure "has undoubtedly caused me to be much more cautious and sensitive when communicating with sources inside the country, to avoid putting them in danger," he told DW.
While Barin chooses not to provide details on the threats he faces, citing the risk of backlash on the people close to him, he says the core message behind them is clear: Someone in Iran would like him to either abandon journalism or steer away from sensitive topics.
Even while living abroad, Barin is forced to take additional precautions in his daily life and pay close attention to his personal security, as he continues his work for media outlets that the Iranian regime considers "hostile."
