Iranian journalist Amir Soltanzadeh says frozen bank account and family pressure show exiled journalists still repressed by regime

Assets targeted from abroad

At the end of September, Iran’s judiciary said it had confiscated assets belonging to people accused of “cooperation with hostile governments.” The action forms part of a plan announced earlier to seize assets from around 400 people living abroad, including journalists, activists, artists and athletes. Amir Soltanzadeh, an exiled freelance journalist who sometimes works for DW, found his name on a government list described by state media as naming “traitors to the homeland.” He said the only property he had in Iran was a bookshelf at his parents’ home. His Iranian bank account, holding about €500 ($555), was also frozen.

Pressure on relatives

Soltanzadeh said some relatives had cut ties with his family because of his journalism. He said his father lost his job, while his mother lived with constant anxiety over who might be calling.

For several months, Soltanzadeh avoided direct contact with his family and communicated through an intermediary, saying he wanted to protect them. He rejected being labeled a traitor, saying his work was intended to improve life for people in Iran.

Risks for reporting inside Iran

The article describes a recurring pattern in which authorities portray Western media and journalists as agents of hostile intelligence services or as conduits for subversive propaganda. It also says authorities can hack journalists’ social media accounts and intercept conversations, later using them as evidence against contacts in Iran.

An Iran-based journalist, who asked to remain anonymous, said coverage of detainees, state executions and protesters’ treatment carries significant risks. The reporter said personal-page writing is heavily limited and censored, while reports must follow the government’s official account.

Press rules and exile

Iran’s constitution, in Article 24, guarantees press freedom. But the Press Law has been expanded and amended over four decades, with rules barring media workers from endangering the Islamic Republic, insulting the clergy or Supreme Leader, or spreading false information. The article says the broadly worded provisions allow authorities wide scope to intervene in media work.

The risks can restrict journalists’ research, contact with sources and ability to cover sensitive subjects. Many leave Iran under sustained pressure. Omid Barin, a freelance journalist who sometimes contributes to DW, said his work led him to go into exile.