Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
RFL/RE – Iranian security forces raided a building housing the editorial office of the Fardaye Eghtesad media outlet, detaining an unknown number of its journalists for hours at their workplace in a sign that a crackdown by authorities on free speech continues.
Families of the journalists have gathered outside the media building near Tehran’s Argentina Square, seeking answers as to why the raid on the economic news website was conducted.
The journalists have been unreachable by mobile phone since early afternoon on February 5, while some local media reported the group is still unable to leave the office.
The exact number of individuals being held in the building is not known, nor is which law enforcement entity conducted the raid.
Fardaye Eghtesad’s social media accounts have been inactive since the action was launched.
The Modara website reported that families of the detained journalists approached the editorial office soon after the news broke, discovering that mobile phones and personal items of the journalists had been seized.
A family member of one of the journalists told the website that approximately 30 journalists work for the media outlet. Since February 5, three have been allowed to leave but they have not publicly spoken on what happened.
The Journalists’ Club reported that security agents visited the Fardaye Eghtesad office, staying late into the night to inspect the premises and interrogate the site’s journalists.
Fardaye Eghtesad, known for its liberal stance, is led by Ali Mirzakhani.
Several journalists have criticized the lack of a clear explanation from official authorities, even to the families of those detained, nearly one day after the raid began. They described the action as an attempt to instill fear among media professionals in Iran.
Maryam Shokrani, a journalist for the Shargh newspaper, reported that her vehicle was seized while trying to ascertain the status of her colleagues at Fardaye Eghtesad. Officers told her she was being punished for failing to adhere to the hijab law.
Some journalists have labeled the incident as a “hostage-taking” by security institutions against the media outlet and its staff.
For years, journalists in Iran have been under pressure, frequently arrested, jailed, and banned from working under various pretexts.
The harsh measures against journalists come amid unprecedented shows of defiance by women and schoolgirls in what appears to be the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
Several thousand have been arrested since the 2022 death of Amini, who died while in police custody for an alleged violation of the country’s head scarf law, including many protesters, lawyers, activists, and digital-rights defenders.
