Iran Proposes Law Criminalizing All Contact With Foreign Media

Iranian lawmakers have initiated steps toward passing a proposed law that would criminalize speaking to foreign media and international groups. The proposed legislation would apply to journalists, researchers, and ordinary citizens, potentially turning civic engagement and communications with international audiences into a security crime.\n\nHuman rights organizations have voiced severe concerns over the draft law, warning that it represents an effort to sever Iranian society from the outside world. The measure could also severely restrict coverage of major internal events, including the mass anti-regime protests that occurred in January.\n\nThe legislative push occurs amid a broader crackdown on media and dissent in the country, underlined by the recent sentencing of a photojournalist to 15 years in prison.