As Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently said, “This has not been a good year for Iran.” Its primary proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, have been decimated. Its closest state ally, the Assad regime in Syria, has collapsed. Iran’s missiles have been proven ineffective. Many of its air defenses have been destroyed.
Weakened though it may be, the Iranian regime continues to wield a strong and repressive hand against the Iranian people, especially those who have raised their voices in dissent or provided accurate news and information.
On such example occurred in December when journalist Reza Valizadeh, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of “collaborating with a hostile government.” Valizadeh had worked for U.S.- funded Radio Farda, an outlet of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and sister station of the Voice of America. He left there in 2022 and worked in a variety of Farsi-language outlets. Reza Valizadeh returned to Iran to visit family in February 2024 and was arrested in late September. During his two court sessions in November, no prosecution representative was present; instead, the judge assumed that role.
In addition to his 10-year prison sentence, Valizadeh was also sentenced to a two-year travel ban and other penalties. He is currently in Evin prison and reportedly has been denied visiting rights. At a press briefing, State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller strongly condemned Valizadeh’s sentencing, and called for his “immediate release, and the release of all political prisoners in Iran.”
“The Iranian Government has repeatedly suppressed press freedom through threats, intimidation, detentions, forced confessions and the use of violence against journalists in Iran,” he said.
The 2024 Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, ranks Iran number 176 out of 180 countries assessed. The assessment shows that Iran is continuing to keep up its reputation as one of the most repressive countries in the world in terms of freedom of the press.
In his recent statement on the ancient festival Shab-e Yalda, when Iranians celebrate the longest night of the year, Spokesperson Miller said, “On this Shab-e Yalda, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people. Their courage in the face of repression and their unwavering pursuit of freedom inspires the world. We stand with them in their struggle, knowing that the dawn of a brighter future will come.”
