Podcast 46: Iran’s Assault on Free Speech in an Interview with Mehrad Vaezinejad and Niousha Masoumi

What does the recent increase in the arrests of journalists in Iran have to do with the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iran? Mehrad Vaezinejad, a Middle East analyst based in London, explains that the two are actually related. We also speak with Niousha Masoumi, a friend of Parastoo Dokouhaki, a recently arrested journalist, who tells us more about her and the work she did in Iran as a blogger and journalist.

In this Weekly Rights Podcast, Mehrad talks about the Iranian authorities’ “campaign of fear,” the latest victims of which are the recent arrests of journalists Parastoo Dokouhaki and Marzieh Rassouli. A friend of Rassouli, he talks about these arrests mean for the situation of human rights in Iran. Niusha explains further what Parastoo’s and Marzieh’s arrests mean for Iranian society in the upcoming election. If you want to learn more about these two journalists, don’t miss this podcast!