Ali Razaghi Bahar is the director of Hamshahri publication group and editor-in-chief of Barsava, a monthly culture and arts publication from Mashhad. He is also an investor in the Rahavard Management publication. Razaghi Bahar has previously worked with the Farhikhtegan newspaper and Soroush magazine, affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

In February 2020, following a series of arrests of political, civil and student activists in Mashhad, news broke that Ali Razaghi Bahar had been arrested at his workplace by security forces.

Following Razaghi Bahar’s arrest on February 14, 2020, security forces carried out a search of his house and confiscated a number of items, including licenses, documents and other personal belongings. After searching his home, Razaghi Bahar was transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Center in Mashhad.

Razaghi Bahar’s arrest took place after the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Office for Khorasan Razavi province filed a legal complaint against him and a report on his activities was compiled by the local Ministry of Intelligence Offices and the provincial public prosecutor.

Ali Razaghi Bahar was charged with “disturbing the public opinion” and “insulting Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini," the former supreme leader of Iran and founder of the Islamic Republic, through articles which he published in the Barsava monthly publication. 

According to information published online, Ali Razaghi Bahar had published articles about holding the 2020 Fajr International Film Festival in spite of boycotts from many artists who were due to attend the festival. This boycott of the Fajr Festival took place as a symbolic protest after Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) air defence system on January 8, 2020.

Razaghi Bahar’s trial took place on April 25, 2020 in the Branch 2 of the Criminal Courts for Khorasan Razavi province.

On July 21, 2020, Razaghi Bahar was sentenced to one year imprisonment on the charge of “disturbing public opinion.” He was acquitted of the accusation of “insulting Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.” 

On June 24, 2020, Razaghi Bahar published a tweet on his personal Twitter page in which he wrote: “On June 21, 2020, following a report by the Ministry of Intelligence administration and a legal complaint by the Khorasan Razavi Provincial Offices of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance, Branch 2 of the First Criminal Courts for the Khorasan Razavi Province sentenced me to one year imprisonment for the crime of #disturbing_public_opinion through [my work with] #Barsava_monthly. This verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Courts.”

Razaghi Bahar’s trial was heard in a media court with a jury.

Details About the Transfer of the Hamshahri Publication Group to Razaghi Bahar

In September 2018, Ali Razaghi Bahar attracted media attention and online following the publication of the news that he had been transferred ownership of Hamshahri Foundation, a collection of the eight magazine publications. In particular, journalists strongly criticised Razaghi Bahar’s previous history of working in the media. Members of the Tehran City Council also reacted to the issue of transfer of ownership of the Hamshahri Foundation, which is under the supervision of the Tehran municipality. The Hamshahri Foundation is made up of eight magazines including; Dastaan (Story), Javan (Youth), Sarzamin-e Man (My Homeland), Danestaniha (Knowledge), Sarnakh (Clues), 24, Bacheha (Children) and Tandorosti (Health).

The contract for the transfer of ownership of the Hamshahri Foundation lasts for three years, until September 22, 2021, with Ali Razaghi Bahar acting as the executive of the foundation and as the editor-in-chief.