Polish Foreign Minister’s Criticism of Internet Access and Human Rights Censored

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski

The Polish Foreign Ministry has released a video and published a report from Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski’s late February trip to Iran in which he spoke of violations of human rights in Iran. News and videos of the full statements were censored by the Iranian government and state media.

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affair’s news website wrote:

Moreover, Poland’s top diplomat referred to the observance of human rights in Iran. “I told Minister Zarif that while I was trying to access a website of a Polish daily in Isfahan yesterday, I was shown a message that the site was blocked by the censorship board,” said Minister Sikorski. “It came as a shock to us, coming as we do from a country that struggled for the freedom of speech,” he added.

The minister also emphasized the need for human rights dialogue, and said we are concerned about the recent rise in death penalties being carried out in Iran.

Many websites, such as Tasnim News, close to IRGC, published censored news of the press conference, leaving the Polish Foreign Minister’s remarks about Internet restrictions, executions, and human rights out. Mehr News published only the portion of Mr. Sikorski’s statements about limitations on access to Internet.

The Polish Foreign Minister had to cut his visit to Iran short to return to his country after the Ukranian crisis broke out.