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Iranian judicial authorities have brought criminal charges against the online media platform Azad and barred its director and host, Mehdi Ahmadi, from media activity, raising serious concerns about freedom of expression, freedom of the press, due process, and the ability of independent voices to participate in public debate inside Iran.
According to Iran’s judiciary, the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office opened a case against Azad following statements made during one of its programs that authorities characterized as “false claims.” Ahmadi was summoned to the prosecutor’s office and formally accused of “spreading falsehoods” as well as operating a media outlet without the required license. He was subsequently released on bond.
More significantly, judicial authorities imposed a supervisory order barring Ahmadi from engaging in media activity until Azad obtains a license from Iran’s Press Supervisory Board. The order effectively prevents Ahmadi from continuing his work and disrupts the operation of a platform that has emerged as a notable forum for political, economic, and social debate inside Iran.
Iranian authorities have sought to characterize the measure as a licensing matter rather than a suspension of the outlet. According to the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office, Azad lacked authorization from the Press Supervisory Board and the media division of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Authorities have therefore argued that terms such as “suspension” or “shutdown” are technically inaccurate because the outlet was not licensed under Iran’s Press Law. However, regardless of this legal characterization, the judicial order has the practical effect of preventing Ahmadi from carrying out media work while the criminal allegations against him remain unresolved.
Azad has attracted significant attention for hosting extended discussions among Iranian experts, intellectuals, and political figures representing differing viewpoints. Its programs have addressed political, economic, and social issues, and in recent weeks have included extensive discussions about the consequences of the recent war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
NIAC previously highlighted the significance of Azad in a February 2026 Iran Unfiltered analysis, “Wounded but Alive: Civil Society, Political Debate, and Cultural Resistance Inside Iran After the January Crackdown.” The report examined the persistence of political debate and civil society activity inside Iran despite the severe repression surrounding the January protests and identified Azad as one example of continuing demand for open and pluralistic discussion.
In particular, Azad’s widely viewed program “Bloody Dey and the Future of Iran” brought together Hesam Salamat, Sajjad Fattahi, and Milad Dakhanchi, figures representing sharply different political and ideological perspectives. The participants debated state violence, the future of the Islamic Republic, political transition, sanctions, foreign intervention, the risk of civil conflict, and the role of Iranian society in shaping the country’s future. The significance of the discussion was not agreement among its participants, but the existence of a public forum inside Iran where fundamentally different perspectives could confront one another openly.
Azad has been gaining increasing attention in the United States, including via a recent New York Times profile. Several recent interviews Azad has hosted have been between American and Iranian commentators, including Iranian academic Foad Izadi and Iranian-American think tanker Ray Takeyh as well as Iranian academic Nasser Hadian and former American policymaker Gary Samore.
The action against Azad comes amid broader restrictions on journalists, commentators, and media organizations in Iran. In June, journalist and political analyst Abbas Abdi was subjected to a judicial supervision order that barred him from media activity for three months, including interviews with domestic and foreign media, publication of articles, and activity on his personal social media accounts.
According to the Defending Free Flow of Information organization, at least 225 journalists and media outlets faced judicial or security measures in Iran during 2025, and at least 148 new judicial cases were opened against journalists and media organizations. Iranian courts collectively imposed more than 30 years and eight months of prison sentences on 25 journalists or media managers during the year, alongside additional restrictions on journalistic and social media activity.
It appears that the use of criminal allegations such as “spreading falsehoods,” licensing requirements, and judicial orders restricting professional activity are being used to suppress legitimate journalism, commentary, and political debate. Such restrictions can have consequences far beyond the individuals directly targeted, creating a chilling effect in which journalists, academics, experts, media organizations, and potential guests may refrain from discussing sensitive issues out of fear of prosecution or professional sanctions.
Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects freedom of expression under Article 19, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media. Although international human rights law permits certain narrowly defined restrictions on expression, such restrictions must be provided by law and must meet requirements of necessity and proportionality. Political criticism, disagreement with official narratives, and peaceful discussion of matters of public concern are entitled to robust protection under international law.
These protections are particularly important at a moment when Iranian society is confronting the consequences of violent repression, war, economic hardship, and profound disagreements over the country’s political future. Iranians have the right to discuss these issues openly and to hear competing perspectives without journalists, commentators, or media platforms facing arbitrary interference or retaliation. Restricting spaces for peaceful political discussion not only infringes on the rights of those directly targeted but also undermines the public’s right to access information and participate meaningfully in public life.
NIAC strongly condemns the use of criminal prosecution and judicial restrictions to suppress legitimate media activity and peaceful expression. Mehdi Ahmadi and other journalists and media professionals should not face professional bans, prosecution, or intimidation for facilitating public discussion, presenting competing viewpoints, or exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression. Regulatory requirements governing media activity must not be used as instruments to silence independent voices or restrict legitimate political debate.
We call on Iranian authorities to immediately lift the restriction barring Mehdi Ahmadi from media activity, ensure that his due process rights and freedom of expression are fully respected, and refrain from using vague criminal charges such as “spreading falsehoods” to punish or deter legitimate journalism and public debate. Iranian authorities must uphold their obligations under international human rights law and ensure that journalists, media workers, academics, civil society actors, and ordinary citizens can exercise their rights to freedom of expression, access to information, association, and peaceful participation in public life without fear of prosecution, intimidation, censorship, or retaliation.