Dismissal and Resignation of Four Journalists from Etemad Newspaper’s Political Desk; Milad Alavi: More Dismissals to Follow in Coming Days

According to reports published on social media and Iranian domestic media outlets, three out of five journalists from the political desk of Etemad newspaper were dismissed in recent days, and one other resigned in protest of how their colleagues were laid off.

Behroz Behzadi, editor-in-chief and managing director of Etemad newspaper, dismissed Somreh Fatemeh Khamenei, the judicial affairs correspondent, Milad Alavi, the parliament correspondent, and Mahdi Rozbahani, the political parties correspondent, on Sunday, July 20. Marjan Zahrani, the government affairs correspondent, also resigned in protest of the unethical and unprofessional conduct, refusing to continue working with the newspaper.

Milad Alavi, one of the dismissed journalists, released a statement on his Twitter page titled “The Narrative of Dismissal!” writing: “On Wednesday, July 16, political journalists from Etemad newspaper held a meeting with the editor-in-chief and managing director to inquire about the continuation of cooperation or the possibility of workforce adjustments. In that meeting, he admitted that there were no plans for adjustments or staff reduction, and perhaps only some page modifications would occur.”

He added that on Saturday, July 19, another meeting was held with the presence of political service journalists at the office of Elias Hazrati, the newspaper’s license holder, where it was announced that 3 out of 5 journalists would be dismissed, and the journalists themselves should decide which journalists would be laid off.

The dismissals and resignations of these journalists occur as Elias Hazrati, responding to the dismissals in a letter to the board of directors of the National Association of Journalists, said: “The fact is that we are all sitting in one boat that unfortunately no longer has much energy to move.”

Stating that continuing workforce adjustments to maintain the minimum possible number of journalists is necessary, Hazrati wrote in the letter that he announced in the meetings held that journalists should choose those to be laid off, and when they did not do so, he himself determined which journalists to dismiss.

After dismissing the journalists, Elias Hazrati states in the letter: “I have offered them editorial fees.”

In the continuation of the statement that Mr. Alavi published on his Twitter page, it states: “We believe that these dismissals, which occurred without any justification, time limit, all at once, and without prior notice, are not only contrary to professional and ethical principles, but also in current economic conditions will have many economic and psychological crises and impacts for journalists. More bitter than that, based on evidence and available information, other dismissals will also occur at Etemad newspaper in the coming days.”

On the other hand, the National Association of Journalists, referring to the official letters from Elias Hazrati, the license holder, and Behroz Behzadi, the managing director of Etemad newspaper, wrote on its Telegram channel: “Concurrent with the written request of the 3 dismissed journalists of Etemad newspaper to the association, it has placed following up on their situation on its agenda.”

However, Milad Alavi wrote on Twitter: “More painful than the dismissal and removal of journalists is the lying of the National Association of Journalists! There has been no agreement between us, the dismissed and resigned journalists, and Etemad newspaper. The National Association of Journalists either does not understand the meaning of the word ‘agreement’ or understands it and knowingly prefers to consider other interests.”

Source: Voice of America