Iranian economics reporter begins 5-month sentence in Karaj prison

On January 24, Judge Asef Al-Hosseini, in Branch one of Karaj Revolutionary Court, sentenced Parisa Salehi, an economics reporter for the state-run financial newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad, to one year in prison, a two-year ban on leaving the country, two years of internal exile, and a two-year ban on social media use, after convicting her on charges of “spreading propaganda against the system” in connection with her reporting, though no specific report was mentioned at the time, according to her post on X, formerly Twitter, and a report by Iran International.

Salehi’s prison sentence was later reduced by an appeals court to five months, but the other sentences were upheld, according to news reports. 

On April 21, Salehi received a summons requiring her to surrender  to prison authorities within five days, the exiled-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported.

“Iranian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Parisa Salehi and cease the practice of arbitrarily locking up members of the press without revealing any credible information about their alleged charges,” said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director, in New York. “The lack of transparency about Salehi’s case risks a chilling effect on newsgathering in the country and questions the judiciary’s due process.” 

Salehi was arrested on April 28 and was immediately transferred to Karaj’s Kaju’i prison to serve her five-month prison sentence according to a post by her sister Parinaz Salehi on X, formerly Twitter. 

CPJ’s email to Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York requesting comment on Salehi’s arrest and imprisonment did not receive any reply.