Activists Alarmed as Ex-Guardian Journalist Reappears in Iran

Iranwire – The presence of Saeed Kamali Dehghan, a former reporter for the British newspaper The Guardian, in Iran has triggered serious concern among civil and political activists. Many activists believe that, given Kamali Dehghan’s long career in journalism in the UK and his wide network of contacts both inside and outside Iran, his return could pose a security risk. There are fears that he may be under pressure to share information with the Islamic Republic’s security agencies, which could put at risk those who once trusted him as a journalist. Between 2013 and 2014, he also worked with IranWire. Attempts by IranWire to contact him for comment have not been successful.

Concerns Over Security and Collaboration

On April 23, Kamali Dehghan posted a series of English-language Instagram stories titled “Some observations from my current trip to Iran so far.” The fact that he was able to post content while many users in Iran remain restricted from accessing the global internet has raised further questions. Activists say that many political and civil figures trusted him because of the credibility associated with The Guardian and may have shared sensitive information with him. They now worry that, in line with the Islamic Republic’s known pattern of pressuring returning journalists and activists, he could be passing on information about dissidents, acquaintances, and former colleagues to security institutions.

Narrating the Official Line

In his recent posts, Kamali Dehghan appears to present a “journalistic” framing of the state’s official narrative on the war and the ceasefire. He says that since arriving in Iran on April 11, the ceasefire has held, daily life has returned to normal, and he has been able to travel across the country without feeling unsafe. He also suggests that despite the deaths of senior political figures, the system remains stable and the country is not close to collapse.

He also spoke about freedom of expression, saying that people in Iran openly discuss their political views, whether in support of the government or the opposition, in both public and private settings without fear. He described this as a form of freedom that did not exist when he previously lived in Iran, though he noted that many Iranians do not agree with this view.

History of Controversy

Kamali Dehghan’s career has been marked by several controversies. In 2009, he worked on the HBO documentary For Neda, filming inside the home of Neda Agha-Soltan, who was killed during the Green Movement protests. Years later, in March 2022, he distanced himself from the documentary in an interview with the state-run Tehran Times, expressing “regret” for being influenced by “Western scenarios.”

In 2018, he wrote in The Guardian that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was funding Iran International. After the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, he claimed that Khashoggi had been his source and was killed for sharing that information. These claims were made without evidence, which led to The Guardian banning him from covering Iran after a complaint was filed by the network.

In 2025, following another trip to Iran, he claimed that his 2010 interview with Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman sentenced to death, was “fabricated.”

Connections to the Regime

In March 2020, Kamali Dehghan said on his Telegram channel that he had been admitted to the Nightingale mental health facility in the UK. However, people close to him told IranWire that even during that period, he remained in regular contact with Hamid Baeidinejad, who was Iran’s ambassador to the UK at the time.

“Saeed frequently visited the Iranian embassy in London and was in constant contact with figures like Hesamodin Ashna and Javad Zarif,” one associate said. “We used to tell ourselves these contacts were normal for a journalist.” Another source said he often socialized with the daughter and son-in-law of Hassan Rouhani in London.

The Pattern of Security Pressure

Much of the concern among activists is rooted in the Islamic Republic’s long-standing approach of pressuring returning individuals to act as informants. The case of Kianoosh Sanjari, an Iranian-American journalist who faced repeated pressure from intelligence agencies after returning to Iran and later took his own life in November 2024, is often cited as a stark example of the risks tied to the state’s security system for those who go back.