Asal Abasian (they/them) is CPJ’s Researcher for Iran, a role they have held since March 2025. Prior to this, Asal joined CPJ in January 2023 as a part of the MENA team. They contribute to the BBC Persian Service and work as a freelance journalist with the Netherlands-based media outlet Radio Zamaneh. Before living in exile—first in Turkey and later in France—Asal spent over a decade reporting in Iran, where they were born. They have worked with some of the country’s most prominent independent media outlets, including Shargh Daily and Andisheh Pouya. As a queer feminist journalist, Asal’s work centers on feminism, politics, minorities, culture, and freedom of expression. Their advocacy endeavors focus on press freedom and queer feminism. In January 2023, Asal received the Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders prize, awarded by the French government in recognition of their courageous work as a human rights activist and journalist. Follow Asal on X and LinkedIn.
