The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has hit out at Iranian authorities over the closure of the Jahan Sanaat newspaper for reporting an opinion on the coronavirus death toll in the country
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2020) The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has hit out at Iranian authorities over the closure of the Jahan Sanaat newspaper for reporting an opinion on the coronavirus death toll in the country.
According to the IFJ, the business news outlet was ordered shut after it published comments of a well-known health expert who opined that the true death toll from COVID-19 in Iran may be 20 times higher than official figures.
"At a time of a global health crisis it is vital citizens have access to independent information on which they can act and base decisions. Jahan Sanaat reported valid comments by a well-known health expert. Such a ban is an outrageous response and should be lifted immediately," IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said in a statement.
The IFJ said it stood with the Tehran Association of Journalists in condemning the move as illegal and calling to immediately lift the ban on publication.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a number of countries have introduced legislation to regulate information about the virus in the media and the public sphere. Iran has passed no special legislation regarding the outbreak in the country but has granted the executive branch special powers to abate the spread of the disease in the country.
As of Tuesday, Iran has registered some 18,800 deaths from COVID-19 complications and about 331,000 cases.
