newspapers and articles taken down or censored by Iranian regulatory authorities, there are a
number of reports that demonstrate a pattern of printed or online publications being monitored
and censored/shut down by state agencies. 32
Additionally, Iranian authorities often resort to the aforementioned legal framework to prosecute
and sentence acts otherwise protected under international law, including freedom of expression.
33 34 35 36 In the same way, the Government resorted to its legal restrictions on freedom of
expression to block the messaging application37 During the 2019 November protests, the
Government ordered a country-wide internet shutdown, impairing the possibility to document
acts of violence in real time and preventing people from seeking38 The Government’s ability to
order a country-wide internet shutdown is one of the examples showing Iranian authorities’ tight
control over freedom of expression and right to information in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Similarly, the authorities have also continued to rely on the aforementioned legal framework to
retaliate against journalists perceived as criticizing the state, promoting minority or oppositional
viewpoints, and reporting on corruption or human rights violations. Those who voice dissent
have been subjected to the use of torture to extract forced confessions, lengthy detention without
charge, privacy violations, and a denial of access to legal counsel. 39 40 41 Estimates suggest
hundreds of journalists have been jailed since 2011. 42
Despite the existence of several mechanisms that ostensibly accept complaints regarding violations
of citizens' rights, such as the Article 90 Commission of the parliament (established based on
Article 90 of the Constitution, offering a mechanism to citizens to file complaint against any of
32
Al Jazeera <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/iran-orders-closure-newspaper-insulting-shia-islam180915123604224.html>
Reuters <https://www.reuters.com/article/iran-rights-press-idUSL8N19C1RN>
33 See more : ARTICLE 19, Small Media, Human Rights Activists in Iran, Impact Iran, Human Rights Committee, 129 th session
(Geneva) 29 June – 24 July 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_ICS_IRN_42315_E.pdf
34 See more: Iran Human Rights, https://www.iranhr.net/en/reports/23/
35 See more: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, https://iranhrdc.org/controlled-and-pursued-labor-activism-incontemporary-iran/
36 See more: Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort, https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420WEB.pdf
37 Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/02/iran-assault-access-information
38 See more : Article 19, https://www.article19.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/TTN-report-2020.pdf
39 Committee to Protect Journalists, Iranian journalist imprisoned, fired, and forced into exile over a single word. December 11,
2019: https://cpj.org/2019/12/iran-journalist-pouyan-khoshhal-arrest-exile-censored/
40 See more : ARTICLE 19, Small Media, Human Rights Activists in Iran, Impact Iran, Human Rights Committee, 129 th session
(Geneva) 29 June – 24 July 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_ICS_IRN_42315_E.pdf
41 See more : Abdorrahman Boroumand Center (ABC)
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) Impact Iran Human Rights Activists in Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_ICS_IRN_42313_E.pdf
42 While no official figure exists on the number of journalists detained with charges since 2011, documentation on specific cases
of journalists imprisoned by HRANA News Agency, Committee to Protect Journalists, Amnesty International, Centre for Human
Rights on Iran, and Reporters Without Borders and ARTICLE19 suggest the number is over a hundred.
4