Iran Detains Journalist Family Over Israel War Coverage

Iran International, a London-based Persian-language broadcaster, has accused the Iranian government of abducting the family members of one of its journalists to coerce her into resigning due to the channel's coverage of the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. The journalist's mother, father, and younger brother were reportedly detained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and taken to an undisclosed location, with the journalist receiving a phone call from her father under the dictation of IRGC agents, urging her resignation. This act is seen as a dangerous escalation in Iran's campaign to silence dissent and suppress independent journalism, targeting not only journalists inside Iran but also those abroad by pressuring their relatives. Iran is known as one of the world's worst jailers of journalists, with strict censorship and repression, and has previously threatened Iran International, which remains an important news source for Iranians during the conflict amid internet blackouts. The broadcaster has called on international human rights and press freedom organizations to condemn the hostage-taking and take urgent action to protect journalists and their families. This incident highlights Iran's ongoing transnational repression tactics against independent media voices critical of the regime.