Washington D.C., September 24, 2024—Islamic Republic of Iran authorities must free Iranian Kurdish journalist Fardin Mostafaei, who was arrested on September 18 in a cafe in the northwestern Kurdistan province and detained in an undisclosed location on unspecified charges, according to news reports.
“Iranian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Fardin Mostafaei and cease the practice of arbitrarily jailing members of the press for reporting on vital daily matters such as economic difficulties,” said Yeganeh Rezaian, CPJ’s interim Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Journalists must be able to work without fear of officials’ retaliation.”
The 39-year-old investigative reporter also manages the Telegram channel known as “Saqqez Rudaw,” which covers the local news of his hometown, Saqqez, and neighboring Kurdish areas.
In November 2023, Mostafaei was summoned and indicted by Saqqez’s Cyber and Internet police (FATA) on charges of “spreading propaganda” and “disturbing public opinion” for his coverage of the economic issues in the city in his Telegram channel. The office of the Saqqez Governor filed a lawsuit against the journalist, according to reports.
CPJ’s email to Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York requesting comment on Mostafaei’s detention did not receive a reply.