We, the undersigned of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), are deeply concerned about the recent violent crackdown on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly by Iran.
 

We strongly condemn the ongoing campaign of repression carried out by the Iranian authorities against protesters and society in general.

We call on Iran to respect its obligations under international law and to cooperate with all United Nations bodies and mandate holders, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the independent international fact-finding mission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council President.

We call on Iran to release all arbitrarily detained individuals, including all journalists. Many journalists have reportedly been arrested "preventively," including during home raids, to prevent them from exposing human rights violations in Iran.

Journalists must also be able to perform their duties without fear of persecution, including discrimination and violence based on gender, gender identity, race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

The arrests targeting journalists in Iran are a direct insult to freedom of expression and media freedom.

Unfortunately, these measures are only the latest acts of repression against journalists in Iran.

Furthermore, we condemn the Iranian authorities' accusation that independent media are "manipulated by foreign powers" and the intimidation or threats by Iranian authorities against Iranian journalists working for international media outside Iran.

This not only undermines media freedom in Iran but also undermines media freedom worldwide.

We also note the statement by the Freedom Online Coalition strongly condemning the Iranian authorities' actions to restrict the Iranian public's access to the internet, disrupt popular social media platforms, and cut mobile networks.

On the other hand, journalists and media workers must be able to report without interference from the government.

We also urge the Iranian authorities to allow all the Iranian people, including journalists and media workers, to freely express themselves and access information, whether online or offline.

Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Kingdom, United States