Iranian Parliament Advances Bill to Criminalize Journalists’ Contact with ‘Hostile Media’

The Iranian parliament approved a bill on Sunday that would criminalize interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including US or Israeli outlets and those financed by them, according to the Shargh newspaper. The bill, which requires review by the Guardian Council, mandates prison terms of six months to two years for violations. Interviews with other foreign media would require notification to the intelligence ministry, while contact with foreign embassies or non-Iranian institutions without written permission from the foreign ministry would be punishable by fines and loss of social rights. The legislation also increases penalties for economic crimes directed by foreigners and restricts scientific cooperation. Separately, award-winning photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was recently sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison, with allegations including providing interviews to media deemed hostile and sharing photographs with US and Israel-linked organizations.