Iran Proposes Law Criminalizing Contact with Foreign Media, Restricting Information Flow

Iran is considering a new law that would criminalize any contact with foreign media, potentially punishing violators with up to two years in prison. The proposed legislation, currently under discussion by lawmakers in Tehran, aims to make communication between Iranian journalists, researchers, and citizens with international media a criminal offense. This move would severely limit coverage of events and protests within the country.

Human rights activists warn that the law would also target the use of social media platforms like Instagram and X, which the Iranian regime views as foreign state-sponsored. Human rights lawyer Moein Khazaali told The Guardian that any interview, contact, or sharing of photos with foreign media could lead to imprisonment unless prior approval is obtained from the Ministry of Intelligence. The law would apply broadly, not only to countries like the US and Israel but to any foreign media outlet.

This legislative push comes amid escalating crackdowns on journalists in Iran, including a 15-year prison sentence handed down in absentia to photographer Yalda Moayeri for documenting damage from the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Moayeri expressed deep concern about serving such a lengthy sentence, fearing it would consume her life.

Rights groups caution that the new law is designed to silence free information flow and deepen Iran's isolation. Har Ghandahari, head of advocacy at the Center for Human Rights in Iran, described the measure as potentially turning the country into an "isolated black hole," aiming not only to suppress journalists but to sever Iranian society from the rest of the world by criminalizing the free exchange of information.