Ezzatollah Zarghami
- Head of the IRGC Radio Programme (1982 - 1986)
- Head of the IRGC Radio Programme (1982 - 1986)
- Member of the IRIB Supervisory Council (1992 - 1997)
- Member of the IRNA Supreme Council of policy making (1992 - 1997)
- Member of the IRIB Supervisory Council (1992 - 1997)
- Member of the IRNA Supreme Council of policy making (1992 - 1997)
- Deputy of Parliamentary Affairs to the Ministry of Defence (1997 - 2000)
- Deputy of Parliamentary Affairs to the Ministry of Defence (1997 - 2000)
- Deputy of IRIB Parliamentary and Provincial Affairs (2000 - 2006)
- Deputy of IRIB Parliamentary and Provincial Affairs (2000 - 2006)
- Head of the IRIB (Jun 2006 - 8 Nov 2014)
- Head of the IRIB (Jun 2006 - 8 Nov 2014)
- Human Rights Violation: Broadcasting forced confessions, show trials and concealment of violations of protesters' rights to election results (2009 - 2014) read more
- Institution
- Head of IRIB
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to freedom from torture, Right to privacy
- Description
Ezzatollah Zarghami, as the head of the IRIB, has been responsible for broadcasting the "forced confessions" of the detainees and political prisoners from various radio and television channels. The IRIB, under the direction of Zarghami, broadcast the show trials of protesters against the result of the 2009 election on 1 August, 2009. IRIB staff cooperated directly with the intelligence-security authorities in the process of interrogation and extracting forced confessions.
During the directorship of Zarghami, the confessions of at least 18 political and conscience prisoners were broadcast on Press TV, the 24-hour English-language TV channel of the IRIB. According to Justice for Iran’s investigation, all of these confessions were obtained under pressure, ill-treatment, or torture, and were broadcast on Press TV without the consent of the detainees.
- Sources
Orwellian state: Islamic republic of Iran’s state media as a weapon of mass suppression, FIDH & JFI, July 2020
IRIB Cooperation with Intelligence Service in Widespread Violations of Human Rights, Iran Human Rights Campaign, 2010
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Zarghami-6.pdf
Zarghami: In the Venezuelan elections, a person like Neda Aghasultan was killed, Khabar Online, 2009
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ZARGHAMI-7.pdf
cut! Stop broadcasting Press TV, Justice for Iran, 2012
https://justice4iran.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CutTakePressTVofftheAir-English.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Broadcasting forced confessions, show trials and concealment of violations of protesters' rights to election results (2009 - 2014) read more
- Planning and Programming Deputy of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution
- Planning and Programming Deputy of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution
- Member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace (8 Nov 2014 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Control, censorship, filtering and prosecution of cyberspace users (8 Nov 2014 - present) read more
- Institution
- Supreme Council of Cyberspace
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of expression, Right to privacy
- Description
-
Zarghami, as a member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, has played a key role in controlling, censoring, filtering and prosecuting cyberspace users since November 2014. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace is the highest body that is responsible for monitoring, policymaking and decision-making in cyberspace and is primarily responsible for controlling, censoring, filtering and prosecuting cyberspace users in Iran. In some parts of the resolution of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, dated June 2017, regarding social media, it is stated: "Users are responsible for their social networks and the messenger service providers are obliged to cooperate with the authorities."
- Sources
Policies and actions of social messaging systems, Supreme Council of Cyberspace, 2017
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/shora-6.pdf
Iran's "Supreme Council of Cyberspace" in the list of cyber-repressive institutions in the world, Deutsche Welle, 2020
- Human Rights Violation: Control, censorship, filtering and prosecution of cyberspace users (8 Nov 2014 - present) read more
- Member of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution (8 Nov 2014 - present)
In a decision dated 25 April, 2012, the European Union placed Zarghami on the list of human rights sanctions for its role in widespread and serious violations of the rights of Iranian citizens. According to this decision, Zarghami will be barred from entering the countries of this union and all his assets in Europe will be confiscated. According to an EU statement, "broadcasting forced confessions and show trials" on networks run by Zarghami were among the reasons for his sanction.
In February 2012, the US Treasury Department placed Zarghami, the then-head of the IRIB on its human rights sanctions list because of his role in producing and broadcasting forced confession extracted under torture. According to this decision, Zarghami's potential assets in the United States will be seized and he will be barred from entering the country.