In its most recent report, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) puts Iran among the world’s top ten countries in media censorship and persecution on independent journalists.

The report, published on Tuesday, September 10, says that aside from the traditional oppression methods used by other tyrannical regimes, the Islamic Republic uses intelligent online filtering and security monitoring for the media to silence them.

The report states: “Iran's government jails journalists, blocks websites, and maintains a climate of fear with harassment and surveillance, including of journalists' families. Domestic media must adhere to tight government controls.”

“Authorities arrest and impose harsh prison sentences on journalists who cover topics deemed sensitive, including local corruption and protests. The government suppresses online expression by spying on domestic and international journalists, jamming satellite television broadcasts, and blocking millions of websites and key social media platforms,” the CPJ report says.

According to the report, “when nationwide anti-government protests took place in late 2017 and early 2018, authorities throttled and shut down the internet and mobile networks. They banned circumvention tools and used hacking and trolling campaigns targeted at domestic and international reporters. The National Cyberspace Council has banned Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube and the messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp.

In conclusion, the report mentions the case of Yashar Soltani as an example; an Iranian journalist who was sentenced to five years in prison for writing an article about financial corruption in Tehran municipality.