Iranian lawmakers have approved the general framework of a bill that would criminalise a broad range of contact with foreign media, academic partners and diplomatic missions, in a move that rights groups say risks giving prosecutors sweeping powers and further eroding due process.
Scope and enforcement
The publicly available draft contains 19 articles that would impose prison terms, professional bans and other sanctions across journalism, academia, civil society and cultural activity. Parliament’s endorsement on Sunday related to the bill’s general framework; the precise text remains subject to change, but the provisions in the latest draft outline a far-reaching new statutory regime.
The measure would place the Intelligence Ministry and the Revolutionary Guards’ Intelligence Organization at the heart of determining what amounts to prohibited foreign links, a shift that could enable security agencies to direct prosecutions and shape evidential thresholds in a system already criticised by rights monitors for shortcomings in fair trial standards.
What could be criminalised
Key elements in the draft would extend criminal liability to routine forms of contact with foreign actors, with heightened penalties in times of unrest.
- Article 7 would outlaw sending messages, images, video, audio or other data to non-Iranian media or to people engaged in media work abroad, punishable by imprisonment and subject to tougher sentences if conducted under employment, deemed aimed at harming national security, or timed during episodes described in the bill as “crisis”, “unrest” or “rioting”.
- Article 6 would ban interviews or communications with outlets designated as hostile, including those funded by states named in the draft, and would require notification to an Intelligence Ministry system before contact with other foreign journalists.
- Article 5 vests the Intelligence Ministry with responsibility for identifying and classifying prohibited foreign links, an administrative role with criminal consequences attached if individuals are judged to have breached it.
| Draft article | Prohibition |
|---|---|
| Article 5 | Authority for Intelligence Ministry to define prohibited foreign contacts |
| Article 6 | Ban on communications with media deemed hostile; notification requirement for other foreign media |
| Article 7 | Criminal offence for sending data to non-Iranian media/foreign media actors |
Implications for journalists, academics and civil society
If enacted in its present form, the law would widen the scope of prosecutable conduct beyond established espionage or national security offences, potentially ensnaring ordinary professional exchanges, academic collaboration, and contact with diplomats or international organisations.
Legal analysts and rights organisations have previously criticised Iran’s criminal justice system for lack of transparency and restricted safeguards; embedding the security services’ determinations into statutory prohibitions could intensify those concerns by lowering the threshold for investigation and arrest.
Parliamentary approval of a general framework does not equate to final passage: each article will be subject to drafting, debate and possible amendment before becoming law. Nevertheless, the decision to advance the bill signals political momentum for tighter controls on foreign engagement at a time when authorities have increased prosecutions over alleged connections to outside actors and media.
Observers warn that professionals who routinely communicate with international colleagues — journalists, researchers, cultural workers and civil society activists — could face new criminal exposure and professional sanctions if the measure is finalised in its current terms.
For courts and defence lawyers the legislation would present fresh practical and legal questions: how to assess the intent behind communications, how to apply notification mechanisms, and how to balance state security claims against established rights to freedom of expression and academic cooperation.
The government and parliamentary authorities have not published a final text; it remains possible that significant changes will be made before the bill reaches its final stages.
