International Federation of Journalists Calls for Release of Journalist in Gonbad Kavous

The International Federation of Journalists issued a statement calling on Iranian authorities to release Aman-Mohammad Khojmali, a Turkmen journalist who was arrested by order of the judicial authorities of Gonbad Kavous city following the 2021 presidential election.

The federation has declared the arrest of this journalist as “baseless and unlawful.”

The International Federation of Journalists states that Mr. Khojmali had told the website “Ulkamiz” in an interview that the reason for his summons was the publication of political and election-related articles and notes.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, Aman-Mohammad Khojmali, a freelance journalist with a history of cooperation with local publications including “Salim” and “Golshan Mehr” as well as news websites in Golestan province including “Okamiz” and “Turkmen News,” was previously arrested in November of last year and was later released on bail. He was convicted in court on charges of “spreading false information” and “disturbing public opinion” and sentenced to a fine of four million tomans.

Prior to the 2021 elections, some reports from Iran indicated that authorities had contacted a number of journalists in Iran and threatened them not to publish any material against Ibrahim Raisi, the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran who was seeking to reach the presidency. Gholam-Hossein Esmaili, the spokesman for the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also confirmed that all media outlets, both government and non-government, had been “warned” regarding the publication of election news.

Source: Voice of America