Trial of Ahwazi journalist Hassan Abbasi on charges of “Insulting officials and spreading lies”

A session was held at the criminal court affiliated with Iran in Hormuz, south of Ahwaz, to try journalist Hassan Abbasi, director of the banned “Ashkan News” website.

Abbasi said in a video posted on his Instagram account that he appeared before the First Branch of the First Criminal Court in Bandar Jumboron on charges related to “spreading lies and insulting government officials and agents.”

Abbasi indicated that the case he is facing was filed based on complaints submitted by government entities and private-sector institutions, including the Social Welfare Administration in Hormuz, the Lavan Oil Refinery, the Bandar Jumboron Refinery, the Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare Administration, the Industry, Mining and Trade Organization in Hormuz, as well as a former employee of the Food and Drug Organization.

The public prosecutor in Bandar Jumboron is also pursuing the case in his official capacity.

The Organization for the Defense of Freedom of Information had previously announced that Abbasi had been summoned to the criminal court in Jumboron, confirming that his trial is related to his reports and his criticism of government authorities.

It is worth noting that journalist Hassan Abbasi had been arrested on previous occasions due to his media activities.

In March 2024, access to the Ashkan News website he managed was blocked by a decision from the “Working Group for Determining Instances of Criminal Content,” under the pretext of “information disclosure.”

These developments come as part of a series of tightened restrictions on journalists and media outlets in the Ahwaz region, amid increased censorship and intensified legal prosecutions against critical voices.