The Association of Iranian Journalists (AOIJ) published a declaration protesting the National Security Council’s (NSC) decision to send letters to newspapers asking them to refrain from covering certain topics. Iranian journalists argued that the NSC letters violate several articles of the Iranian constitution. Two days ago, Rooz Online reported for the first time that such letters were being sent to newspapers.

According to reports received from Tehran, during the past few days, the National Security Council has sent a letter to newspapers asking them to refrain from publishing critical articles on topics such as the plan to increase public security, increasing energy prices, international sanctions imposed against Bank Sepah, negotiations with the United States, inflation, and what the letter referred to as “other issues.” The letter also asked newspapers to refrain from using the word “movement.”

The AOIJ’s declaration states, “The General Office of the Press and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which must be at the forefront of respecting and complying with the law, have sent letters to editors of publications ordering them to comply with illegal demands. Article 4 of the press law states, ‘No governmental or non-governmental official is allowed to apply pressure to the press to publish an article or to attempt to control or censor the press.’ In some of these letters the press is ordered to cover some issues and not to cover others, and orders are given even with respect to minute details such as using specific words and phrases.”

According to the AOIJ’s declaration, “The aforementioned issues are among the country’s most important and significant issues. It is unclear what is meant by the profession of journalism and freedom of press in the Islamic Republic, if the press has to refrain from freely reporting about such issues.”

The AOIJ’s declaration cites various articles from the Islamic Republic’s Constitution and the current press law, and provides a short analysis of the post-revolutionary history of such laws in Iran. The declaration touches on restrictions that were added to the press law during the Fifth Majlis [“Parliament”]: “During this period, more restrictive articles and measures were added to the press law and the Sixth Majlis’s efforts at repealing these addendums and returning to the old press law failed.”

Previously, when the International Energy and Atomic Agency referred Iran’s nuclear case to the United Nations Security Council, the National Security Council sent a letter to the press asking them to refrain from publishing articles that were critical of the country’s nuclear policies. But the scope of current issues mentioned by the National Security Council is much broader and includes many aspects of the public’s daily life. The common factor among all of these issues is that they have all been widely criticized within the past few months. This is why many journalists believe that the National Security Council is essentially taking away the right of journalists to criticize the government’s policies in various areas.