Amir Reza Amir Teymouri, a journalist for the Tabnak news website, was summoned to the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office for publishing an article criticizing a member of Iran's parliament.

In the article, Teymouri questioned Mohammad Reza Poorabrahimi, the member of parliament for the province of Kerman and the Chairman of the Iranian Parliamentary Commission on the Economy, challenging him on a number of ongoing economic issues. Amir Teymouri has since been charged with “spreading lies.”

He has been released from detention and is currently free.

Summons

On August 27, 2020, Amir Reza Amir Teymouri, the economic affairs correspondent for the Tabnak news website in Kerman, was summoned by the Iranian Cyber Police (FATA). He was officially charged with “spreading lies with the intention of disturbing the public mind”. The charge was made following a legal complaint filed by Poorabrahimi himself. 

In an interview with Tabnak, Amir Teymouri said that, when he asked the officer at the FATA station to explain the charges against him, the officer showed him a large pile of paper. He said that, in addition to the critical article, a number of other news stories that were published on the Tabnak news website were also being cited as evidence in support of the accusations against him. 

Amir Teymouri’s controversial article was published on the Tabnak news website in July 2020, with the headline “Mr. Poorabrahimi, why aren't you being transparent?” In the article he challenged Poorabrahimi on a number of the economic issues.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled to take place in Branch 1 of the Culture and Media Courts. The date and time of this hearing has not yet been announced.