Iran: Crackdown on freedom of the press over Covid-19 reporting continue with shutting down of a newspaper, leaving journalists jobless

August 12, 2020, Tehran, Iran --  Iran authorities shut down the Jahane Sanat newspaper on Monday following the publication of remarks by an expert who criticized the handling of coronavirus cases in the country.

A day prior to the arbitrary decision of shutting down the newspaper, Jahane Sanat quoted the well-known epidemiologist Reza Mahboobfar Saying the true number of cases and deaths that the authorities reveal do not reflect the reality and that the number of cases in Iran could be 20 times more than what is reported by the Health Ministry.

He also said the virus was detected in Iran a month earlier than Feb. 19, and that “The administration resorted to secrecy for political and security reasons,” and only provided “engineered statistics” to the public.

Mahbooobfar also criticized that the elections and university entrance exam and holiday celebrations were still held which gathered mass crowds together causing the outbreak to be renewed. 

Authorities in Iran have come under heavy criticism since the start of the pandemic because of their reluctance to impose the kind of sweeping restrictions seen elsewhere in the region. Iran is home to the deadliest outbreak in the Middle East.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is disturbed by Iran’s arbitrary suppression of free information flow in the midst of a global pandemic, where the opposite is needed. It is important for the regime to understand how their actions to restrict facts about COVID-19 will not only impact its own citizens but also those around the world.

In Iran, which is already notorious for suppressing freedom of the press, the lack of transparency is at its peak during a crisis that has surpassed borders. 

Shutting down Jahane Sanat does not only target the already feeble freedom of expression and right to information but also constitutes a threat towards the livelihood of journalists who will have to survive the pandemic without a job and economic security. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism urges the Iranian authorities to reconsider their decision of shutting down yet another publication. We demand that Iran understands that depriving people of their jobs in the midst of a pandemic is not only cruel but is also counterproductive for the country’s economy.