Iran parliament approves penalties for interviews with hostile foreign media

Iran's parliament has voted to criminalise interviews and participation with media outlets designated as hostile by the Intelligence Ministry. The vote took place on Tuesday and passed by 174 votes to six, according to the supporting material. The measure is part of a wider bill on countering the penetration of intelligence services and foreign governments or entities.

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The approved article bans Iranian nationals from giving interviews to, or taking part in discussions with, outlets that are either designated hostile or are owned, managed or funded by operatives linked to countries classed as adversaries of the Islamic Republic. It also sets out penalties under the Islamic Penal Code, including imprisonment of more than six months up to two years, fines, 31 to 74 lashes, deprivation of social rights and other restrictions. A separate proposal to exempt government officials from the scope of the article was also approved in the same sitting.

The bill defines foreign governments in two tiers. A level one government is one formally designated as hostile under Iranian law or by decision of the Supreme National Security Council. A level two government is one that has planned or carried out actions aimed at damaging Iran's political, defence, security, economic, social or cultural interests.

The list of level two governments is to be drawn up by the Intelligence Ministry and the IRGC intelligence organisation, then approved by the Supreme National Security Council. The move comes after President Masoud Pezeshkian's cabinet formally opposed the bill. At a meeting on 22 August, the cabinet said the legislation had serious flaws, including restrictions on scientific activity, the acceleration of elite emigration and negative consequences at national and international level.

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First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref had warned of consequences for science and technology, while presidential legal deputy Majid Ansari said criminalising broad and general categories could harm citizens' rights. The parliamentary vote therefore highlights a clear divide between the legislature and the executive over how far Iran should go in tightening controls on contact with foreign media. The legislation also reflects a broader pattern of pressure on Persian-language broadcasters and other outlets outside Iran.

The supporting material says the bill follows months of hardline rhetoric from Iranian officials against such media. It also adds a separate offence covering unpublished official information obtained through a job, with a penalty of four to 10 years in prison and a permanent bar from the post through which the information was accessed. That provision suggests the law is being framed not only as a media restriction, but also as part of a wider security and information-control package.

What remains unclear is how quickly the bill will complete the rest of the legislative process and how broadly the hostile-media designation will be applied in practice. It is also not yet clear which outlets or countries will be placed on the level two list once it is drawn up and approved. The next stage will be important for determining the law's practical impact on journalists, officials and ordinary Iranian nationals who communicate with foreign media.

#Iran #parliament #hostilemedia #pressfreedom #IntelligenceMinistry

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