🔶 New bill passed by parliament; interviews with "hostile media" carry 6 months to 2 years in prison

Members of the Iranian parliament adopted Article 22 of a bill known as the “infiltration” bill. Under this bill, interviews by Iranian citizens with media outlets that have been declared “hostile” by the Ministry of Intelligence, and/or “participation in discussions” with these media outlets, are henceforth “prohibited and will be punishable by imprisonment ranging from six months to two years”.

According to ISNA, lawmakers considered and ultimately approved Article 22 of this bill during the “virtual” public session on Tuesday, 14 Mehr, while reviewing the report of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on the bill “to counter foreign infiltration.”

In Article 22 of this bill, it is stated that, by referring to the fact that this action “constitutes one or more of the punishments of the sixth degree under Article 19 of the Islamic Penal Code,” Iran’s government officials “are exempt from the provisions of this article.”