Iranian Journalist Arrested After Raid On Her Home
Nazila Maaroufian, a journalist and student at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, was arrested on Saturday following a summons to the Prosecutor's Office at Evin prison.
Nazila Maaroufian, a journalist and student at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, was arrested on Saturday following a summons to the Prosecutor's Office at Evin prison.
Her arrest occurred after security agents from the intelligence ministry raided her home last week and ordered her to appear at the prosecutor's office.
In a tweet, she shared the details of the government agents' invasion of her home to conduct a search and confiscate her personal belongings. She emphasized that despite Iranian citizens being deprived of safety even within their own homes, they should persevere and not surrender.
Maaroufian was previously employed by the moderate Iranian news website Rouydad 24, which had been a reliable source of news about developments in Iran.
However, in March, the Iranian regime blocked access to the website after it published an interview with Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa (Zina) Amini.
Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman, died in the custody of the "hijab police," sparking the current wave of anti-regime protests, which are the largest the Islamic Republic has faced since its establishment in 1979.
Nazila Maroufian and Marzieh Amiri, journalists from the outlet, were imprisoned due to the interview and their reports on the protests.
After 72 days of detention, Maroufian was temporarily released from Gharchak Varamin prison on a bail of six billion rials. However, she was later sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "propaganda and publication of lies."
A moderate conservative figure has branded the members of ultraconservative party Paydari [steadfastness] “political businessmen” out to secure power and make money.
Mohammad Mohajeri, a former hardline conservative figure turned “moderate” who was once one of the editors of hardline daily Kushan, says the ideological games being played by Paydari are nothing but moves to secure the interests of ultraconservative politicians.
Mohajeri said in an interview widely covered by the Iranian press this week that moves to expand power and influence have spread to the state television, where leading Paydari member Vahid Jalili, a brother of former nuclear negotiator and Khamenei confidant Saeed Jalili, has been placing likeminded individuals on key posts ahead of the elections.
Exerting influence on the state TV is key to electioneering in Iran because it is the only broadcaster in the country. It targets regime supporters and promotes Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s hardline political views. However, it has lost its reach and influence among the middle class to a great extent after the disputed presidential election in 2009.
Mohajeri charged that state TV chief Payman Jebelli has put the national broadcaster totally at the disposal of hardliners by appointing Jalili as his deputy. He said that the television with its exclusive right to broadcasting in Iran has already been promoting the electoral agenda of the hardliners and paving the way for a landslide victory for Paydari.
However, he pointed out that polls conducted in Iran show that the state TV has lost three quarters of its viewership in a decade and the ideological management is hurting its popularity even more.
Mohajeri pointed out that there are four major groups of conservatives in the Iranian political landscape: Paydari, the neo-cons around Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, traditional conservatives close to former Majles Speaker Gholamreza Ali Haddad Adel, and another group that calls itself “moderate and rational.” From among these four groups, Paydari currently has the upper hand among regime insiders.
Mohajeri had said in another interview last week that “Paydari is President Ebrahim Raisi’s strategic ally,” and are most likely to give all their support to Raisi and the candidates he picks for the Majles election in March. He added that Paydari is working on a plan to minimize the turnout next March so that mostly regime supporters come out to vote and most of them cast their ballots for its candidates.
Furthermore, Gholamreza Ali Jafarzadeh Imanabadi, a former lawmaker from Rasht in northern Iran, revealed that Paydari has been reaching out to ultraconservative figures who they believe can secure votes, encouraging them to run as representatives of the party in the upcoming elections.
Reformist politician Mohammad Reza Javadi Hesar told Etemad Online on Wednesday that Paydari has been exploiting state television in a manner that has even frustrated other conservatives. He may have been referring to a report on the website of the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency, which stated that Jalili's actions at state TV have deeply annoyed individuals devoted to the ideology of the Islamic Republic.
In response to criticism, Jalili argued that he possesses the appropriate background for the position of deputy director at state TV, stating that some of his predecessors came from the IRGC and were experts on missiles rather than having a background in a cultural organization such as the Art Bureau of the Islamic Propagation Organization, where he previously worked before being appointed as deputy state TV director.
According to Iranian law enforcement officials in Sistan-Baluchistan province, four gunmen attacked the police station using hand grenades and seized control of a watchtower. The attack was still ongoing as of noon local time. In early afternoon, officials said that all four gunmen were eventually killed and the situation around the heavily protected police compound returned to normal.
These circumstances suggest that since the attack began at around 7:15 am, it took hours to subdue the gunmen. This raises questions about whether the details provided by the authorities accurately represented the event.
Other reports have mentioned one or two suicide bombers detonating explosives to create an entry point for others into the heavily guarded premises. However, police officials insist that there were no suicide bombings and only hand grenades were used.
Tensions in Zahedan have been high since security forces, under the command of the Revolutionary Guard, killed an estimated 80-90 civilian protesters in the city on September 30, 2022, marking the start of anti-regime nationwide protests in Iran. This tragic event became known as Black Friday.
Since then, the people of Zahedan have been participating in peaceful demonstrations every Friday after prayers and sermons by their respected religious leader, Mowlana Abdolhamid.
One hour after the attack began, Abdolhamid disassociated himself from the incident and called for peace and security. However, some speculate that the authorities can use the incident to restrict his freedom, possible putting him under house arrest.
The authorities have attempted to intimidate and silence Abdolhamid, who has strongly criticized the rulers of the Islamic Republic in his sermons. He has called for a referendum on the future of the country, respect for women, the release of political prisoners, and genuine elections.
The government has failed to launch a proper investigation into the mass killings that occurred during Black Friday, which has been one of Abdolhamid's demands. No security officials have been arrested or suspended.
Some reports suggested that the police station - precinct #16 - was the compound from where security forces opened fire on September 30, 2022, because it was close to the main mosque where people began their protest march.
Although incidents of attacks against security forces have occurred in the impoverished and desolate province for years, the general population has remained peaceful. On June 30, Zahedan residents held a silent march in the city.
In this instance, no one knows who the attackers are and it cannot be ruled out that the whole incident could have been staged by security and intelligence organs to clamp down on Zahedan's residents and particularly Abdolhamid.
In recent weeks, the regime has escalated pressure on the outspoken cleric by arresting several individuals from his inner circle and supporters. Additionally, Abdolhamid has been prevented from leaving Iran for the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
In June, his grandson and several aides were arrested. The Makki Mosque, Abdolhamid's headquarters in Zahedan, has become a center of resistance against the government since September 2022. It is where Abdolhamid delivers his weekly sermons, openly criticizing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's regime.
These arrests followed reports that the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence arm had assigned a hitman to poison and kill the prominent Sunni cleric. Security guards at Makki Mosque apprehended a man posing as a religious student who allegedly intended to assassinate the Sunni leader.
Last updated at 16:00 GMT, July 8
