Iran/United States: Iran International Correspondent Maryam Rahmati Dismissed From Covering A United Nations Meeting

Location:  United States, New York  
Date: November 14, 2022

Journalist and women's rights activist Maryam Rahmati was escorted out of a recent UN Human Rights Council meeting. The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces Rahmati's dismissal from the meeting and urges the UN to protect journalists' rights to report freely. 

Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council held a number of human rights events, one of which was attended by the Vice President of the Judiciary for International Affairs and Secretary General of the Islamic Republic of Iran's High council for human rights Kazem Gharibabadi and conservative MP Zohreh Elahian. Iran sent the two delegates with aim to “prevent the incorrect and hostile narrative of Western countries and the US”. 

Maryam Rahmati, who works as a UN correspondent for Iran International, was also present at the meeting in order to cover the session. Rahmati was asked to leave on the pretext the meeting was scheduled to be held privately without media presence. However, an Iranian state broadcaster was allowed to remain and cover the event. In response to being asked to leave, Rahmati asked the Iranian official why she had to leave and why was the Islamic Republic so scared of the media. Rahmati then added that if the Iranian government was in fact not committing crimes and killing the people of Iran, then they had no reason to fear her presence. 

Rahmati is allowed to cover everything that happens in the United Nations, so being expelled from covering this particular meeting seemed unreasonable to the reporter. In a video recording of her opposing the request to leave the meeting, Rahmati is heard saying "If it's a closed meeting,  why are these media [state broadcasters] allowed here? They were here, they weren't asked to leave, but as soon as I personally walked in, I was asked to leave."

Rahmati continued on "Someone who literally signed a document to prosecute a protester and now you want us to leave this meeting? You shouldn't even be allowed here at the United Nations, because your hands are literally covered with people's blood. I'm going to leave this meeting, but you're never going to leave the people's minds for what you've done to your own people. For killing your own people. And now you're removing me from this meeting?! Only because I'm doing my job, my duty as a journalist."

This incident came after Tehran's recent blacklisting of two London-based television channels as “terrorist organisations”. The government said that cooperating with them would be punishable by law.

Iran has also opposed attempts initiated by Western countries to scrutinize its administration of weeks of ongoing violent protests across the country ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody of Iran's morality police.

In a letter released on Monday, Tehran accused the United States of “politicizing” human rights issues, as the Islamic Republic has been violently cracking down on protesters and media workers.  As many as 13,000 people have been jailed, including 32 women journalists. In the past few days, Iran issued its first death sentence for a protester. 

The climate of media suppression in Iran is alarming and Rahmati's dismissal from the UN Human Rights Council meeting is a clear example. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is outraged by this act of censorship against Maryam Rahmati. We demand that the United Nations respect the media's rights to information. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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