Iraj Jamshidi, also known as Rohallah Jamshidi Larigani, is a journalist, political activist, and editor-in-chief of the economic newspaper Asia News. Jamshidi was arrested once before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and twice after the Revolution. Jamshidi’s most recent arrest resulted in a two-month prison sentence connected to his distribution of speeches by President Hassan Rouhani during the 2017 presidential election.
Asia News is considered to be politically in line with Hassan Rouhani’s moderate government. But on May 8, 2017, the newspaper chose to run portions of a speech by Rouhani in Hamedan as their headline. In the excerpts, Rouhani spoke of his opponents on the hardline end of the Islamic Republic, saying, ‘Those who jail and execute, do not speak of freedom, it makes a mockery of the notion of freedom.’
On the same day the speech was published, Jamshidi was arrested by unknown individuals while he was leaving his house. Asia News published the story of Jamshidi’s arrest on the front page of its website. Jamshidi’s arrest occurred only 10 days before the presidential election in which Rouhani was standing as the incumbent candidate. Jamshidi was held for two months, after which he was freed; however, he was never informed of the charges which led to his arrest.
First and second prison term
In February 2020, Nima, Iraj Jamshidi’s son, spoke to Journalism is Not a Crime about his father’s arrests, saying, “My father’s first term in prison was related to events in 1974-1978. He was also arrested in 2003, when he was imprisoned for approximately 400 days.”
Before the Revolution, Jamshidi was a member of a 12-member Marxist group. This group included the well-known figures of Khosrow Golkhosrow and Karamatollah Danashyan.
In October 1973, the group attempted to take Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi hostage and to use him as a guarantee to free political prisoners. But their plan failed and the 12 members were captured. After a lengthy period of torture, their cases were heard in court. Jamshidi was initially sentenced to death, but after showing remorse about the act, his sentence was reduced to 10 years in prison. The sentence was annulled after the Islamic Revolution and he was released from prison.
On July 4, 2003, Iraj Jamshidi was arrested after publishing a picture of Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (the People’s Mojahedin, or MEK, in the Asia News newspaper. He was accused of “actions against national security,” “offering intelligence to foreign countries,” “disrupting the economic state of the country,” “insulting Khomeini,” “taking bribes” “spreading lies” and “disrupting public order.”
Jamshidi was released on bail in August 2004 after a year in prison.