the threats of dictatorships against journalists are intended to be more and more visible and dissuasive

The organization Reporters Without Borders, based in England, held a press conference on Wednesday April 17, 2024, to ask the English authorities to better protect Iranian journalists who work on British soil.

The organization RSF (Reporters Without Borders) called on the English authorities on Wednesday April 17 to ensure that Iranian journalists, who are being pursued remotely by the Mullahs’ regime, are better protected on British soil. To understand the problem, we have to go back to the end of March, when a journalist from the private channel Iran International TV was attacked with a knife near his home in London and had to be hospitalized for a leg injury. His attackers were able to flee. The journalist claimed to have been targeted because of his work for this channel, which broadcasts in Farsi, and which is classified as a terrorist organization by Tehran.

Threats, harassment, and devastating effect on morale

This Iranian journalist is not the only one concerned. According to a report by the organization Reporters Without Borders, almost 90% of Iranian journalists surveyed have been the subject of online threats or harassment over the past five years in the United Kingdom, with a “devastating” impact on their mental health. . In addition, women are particularly targeted. They receive sexual images, death or rape threats, they are also harassed with “fake news”, which aims to tarnish their reputation. This is a classic method known to the Mullahs, who like to attack the reputation of opponents, particularly women. Already in 1980, they had sentenced the former Minister of Education of the Shah of Iran to death, following a trial in which she was accused of prostitution.

Intervention and threats in foreign territory are a classic method of pressure, used by many dictatorships. This is a great specialty of the Chinese authorities, who like to pursue their opponents all over the world. We also saw it recently with the Russians, who are accused of having chased their opponents into the Baltic countries. A technique also used by Iranians, who harass, follow and attack their victims in foreign territories. They are also adept at threatening families left in Iran.

Methods in broad daylight that want to produce self-censorship

Of course, this has always more or less existed. But what has changed is that before, this kind of thing was done in a hidden way. Today there is no more embarrassment, it doesn’t matter if it is known and even, on the contrary, it contributes to maintaining a climate of fear. This can lead to self-censorship for the most vulnerable journalists.

Generally speaking, more and more journalists around the world find themselves exposed and in danger, and their situation is deteriorating almost everywhere. Last Tuesday, Reporter Without Borders launched an appeal to protect Haitian journalists and media. Since 2022, at least six journalists have been killed in Haiti due to their professional activity. And we can also add those who are simply attacked or kidnapped. In Hong Kong, an RSF representative was detained before being expelled for coming to attend the trial of Jimmy Lai, a well-known dissident figure. We can also add to this sad list the fate of journalists who try to tell the horror of what is happening in Gaza. We can mention the arrest of this Burundian journalist detained since April 15 by the intelligence services of her country, or the case of an Algerian journalist from the weekly Young Africawho explains that he was turned back last Saturday by the Algerian authorities, then expelled to Paris after being questioned about his articles.

These examples are those from the past week, and obviously the list is far from exhaustive. The right to information is shrinking and no country is immune.