Cartoon by Shahrokh Heidari

Iran Accused of Media Crackdown Following Deadly Port Explosion

IranWire: Amnesty International has accused the Islamic Republic of conducting a “sinister crackdown” on media outlets reporting on a deadly explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port that killed at least 70 people and injured over 1,000.

The human rights organization said Iranian authorities are filing criminal charges against journalists and social media users to suppress information about the explosion, which officials have vaguely attributed to negligence.

“Iranian authorities have claimed that some media outlets and social media users have spread ‘false information and lies’ about the explosion and ‘disturbed the psychological security of society.’ Authorities have filed criminal cases against multiple media outlets and individuals,” Amnesty said.

“The international community must condemn Iranian authorities’ sinister crackdown and press them to stop threatening, intimidating, and prosecuting journalists for their work. Suppressing media reporting indicates that the state is attempting to conceal the truth from the public.”

Amnesty called for an independent probe to ascertain what happened and emphasized that any officials responsible should not enjoy impunity.

“Independent monitors must be given unhindered access to the site, survivors, and other witnesses to investigate what caused the catastrophic explosion and who was responsible, including any involvement by state officials,” it said.

Tehran’s Prosecutor’s Office filed criminal charges against several media outlets and social media activists over their coverage of the explosion in Bandar Abbas.

Judicial cases have been opened following what authorities described as “several accounts and narratives about the Shahid Rajaee Port incident.”

Mizan News Agency, the judiciary’s media outlet, reported that warnings were also issued to other media organizations and social media users.

The General Prosecutor’s Office released a statement on Saturday warning media and social media activists to avoid content that “disturbs the psychological security of society.”