Iranian Parliament advances Bill to curb foreign influence
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Under the Bill, interviews or participation in discussions with media deemed hostile to Iran would be banned and violations punishable by six months to two years in prison.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Iran’s Parliament approved a Bill criminalising interviews with media considered hostile, especially US or Israeli outlets, punishable by six months to two years in prison.
- The Bill would require notifying the Intelligence Ministry for interviews with other foreign media and restricts contacts with foreign entities without Foreign Ministry permission.
- It would increase penalties for economic crimes linked to foreigners, ban unauthorised sharing of information, and allow up to 30 years in prison for harmful proposals influenced by foreign intelligence.
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DUBAI – Iran’s Parliament approved on Aug 16 the general principles of a Bill that would criminalise interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including US or Israeli media and outlets financed by either country, Iran’s Shargh newspaper reported.
Osman Salari, a member of Parliament’s judicial and legal commission, said the individual provisions of the Bill, which is aimed at countering foreign intelligence influence, have yet to be debated and approved. Reports about the Bill’s details should not yet be considered final, Salari told the Mizan news agency.
Under the proposed Bill, interviews or participation in discussions with such media would be banned and violations would carry six months to two years in prison.
Interviews with other foreign media would require notification to the Intelligence Ministry, while contact with foreign embassies, offices of foreign organisations or other non-Iranian institutions without notification and written permission from the Foreign Ministry would be punishable by a fine and deprivation of certain social rights.
The proposed legislation would also harden penalties for economic crimes committed under the direction or supervision of foreigners, ban providing information to foreigners without Intelligence Ministry approval and restrict scientific cooperation with foreign institutions outside an approved list.
It would punish policy or legislative proposals made under the direction of foreign intelligence services if they harm Iran’s security or independence, with prison terms of up to 30 years. Cases would be heard by Revolutionary Courts.
The Bill will be considered article by article in Parliament. Once Parliament approves the final text, it will have to be reviewed by the Guardian Council before becoming law.
The move is not the first time Iran has criminalised cooperation with foreign entities. A law passed in 2025 after a 12-day war with Israel imposed tougher penalties for alleged cooperation with hostile states.
Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced in August to 15 years under that law over allegations that included giving interviews to media deemed hostile and providing photographs to US and Israel-linked organisations. REUTERS
