Conservative Iranian Newspaper Slams Censorship Of Critical Media

Jomhouri-e Eslami, a conservative Iranian newspaper, has joined the chorus of voices condemning the censorship of critical media outlets by the ruling hardliners.

The newspaper emphasized on Saturday that the relationship between the government and the media should be defined by “mutual respect”, with the aim of upholding the professional standards of media.

"The relationship between the government and critical media should be defined based on mutual respect, so that the media's reflectiveness and the honesty of their reports remain at professional standards," stated Jomhouri-e Eslami in its editorial comments.

This commentary by the daily comes in the wake of the recent suspension of the Entekhab news website by Iranian authorities. The suspension was officially attributed to violations of press laws and decisions made by the Supreme National Security Council. While the move has been reported by news outlets aligned with the Iranian regime, the precise reasons for the suspension have yet to be officially communicated to the website's owner or management.

The suspension of Entekhab, a relatively independent outlet, followed the examination of a video and report titled "Why has Iran's foreign policy become so weak?" The media supervisory body made the decision at a session on Monday. The video, which was published on August 22 on the Entekhab website, contained critical commentary on Iran's current foreign policy under the leadership of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Jomhouri-e Eslami further underscored that constraining and threatening the media is not only the wrong course of action but also undermines the legitimacy of their work. The newspaper emphasized the importance of dynamic and critical media in every society, comparing their necessity to that of a mirror for individuals.