Iran bans online debate show over ‘false information’

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Iran’s judiciary said it has banned a YouTube debate show for spreading “false information”, while the channel’s founder said authorities had charged him and released him on bail after questioning.

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Iran has tightened controls over media coverage since the US-Israeli attacks on February 28, which triggered the ongoing Middle East war.

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On Monday, Iran’s judiciary said it opened an investigation into the YouTube channel “Azad” following the broadcast of an episode containing “false information”, according to its Mizan Online news site.

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Mizan said the show was “considered an unauthorised media outlet” as it did not have an official licence from the culture ministry, which oversees media activity in Iran.

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“A judiciary supervision order was issued prohibiting the director from carrying out any media activity until a licence is obtained,” Mizan reported.

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It added that the channel had “committed numerous violations of media regulations during its unauthorised operations”.

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The investigation came days after a New York Times article described Azad as a talk show that “tackled topics that push the limits of Iran’s authoritarian system”.

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The show’s founder and presenter Mehdi Ahmadi said he was charged with disseminating false information and questioned on Sunday and Monday.

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“I, Mehdi Ahmadi, director and presenter of the Azad interviews have been charged with disseminating false information and have been referred to the prosecutor’s office yesterday and today to answer for these charges,” he said Monday on X.

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“In accordance with the court’s decision, I was released on bail but the Azad channel is prohibited from broadcasting any interviews until further notice.”

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The Azad YouTube channel has nearly 160,000 subscribers and regularly publishes debates on a wide range of subjects, including the Iran-US war, sexual violence, the economy and philosophy, as well as other social issues.

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Guests of the show have included figures from across Iran’s political spectrum including opposition figures based abroad whose statements openly criticise the Islamic Republic’s policies.

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Azad’s YouTube page lists August 2017 as the date it joined the video-sharing platform.

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Iran has long kept tight control over the media, with journalists requiring authorisation and licenses for coverage.

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YouTube, along with several other social media platforms, has been blocked in Iran for years, requiring users to rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent restrictions.

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AFP

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