Iran moves toward banning contact with foreign media
Lawmakers in Tehran are considering a measure that would make speaking with overseas news outlets a punishable offence, rights groups say.
Iranian lawmakers are weighing a bill that would make contact with foreign media a crime, a move rights groups say could further isolate the country and curb reporting on public unrest. The proposal is being discussed in Tehran this month.
According to human rights organisations, the draft would not only affect journalists but could also expose researchers and ordinary citizens to prosecution if they speak to international outlets or groups. They say the measure would turn routine civic engagement into a security issue.
The warning comes as Iranian authorities have also handed a 15-year prison sentence to a photojournalist, underscoring the pressure on media workers inside the country. Rights advocates say the combination of legal threats and harsh sentencing is narrowing the space for independent reporting.
If adopted, the law could limit coverage of events such as the mass anti-government protests seen in January. Iran has long restricted domestic media, but the proposed measure would extend that pressure to any interaction with audiences outside the country.
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