On the eve of presidential sham elections, suppression apparatus of mullahs’ regime arrested a number of journalist from media outlets, mostly affiliated to the rival factions including Shargh, Arman, Baha, Etemad dailies and Ilna news agency and Asman weekly. The news agency affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) regarded “the reason for arrest of these individuals” as “collaboration with Farsi language media outlets belonging to the anti-revolution”.

Tabnak website, belonging to former commander of IRGC, was also shut down by Tehran’s pubic prosecutor on the charge of “issuing insulting opinions”.

Crackdown on media which are issued within the context of mullahs’ law is indicative of regime’s fear of popular uprisings and is carried out by taking advantage of conditions due to elections. Hereby, Khamenei is seeking to get rid of all rivals inside its power structure and solidify its authority. This move also shows regime’s vulnerability more than ever in a way that cannot tolerate any expression from its internal factions. Mullahs’ regime has time and again been described by international authorities as the “biggest prison for world journalists” and “biggest prison for journalists in the middle east”.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
January 29, 2013