Mohammad Sarafraz
- IRIB Deputy of the Overseas Affairs (1992 - 2014)
- Director of Press TV (2007 - 2014)
- Human Rights Violation: Producing and broadcasting forced confessions ( 2007-2014) read more
- Institution
- Deputy of the Overseas Affairs
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to freedom from torture, Right to privacy
- Description
-
As the director of Press TV, he was responsible for recording and broadcasting forced confessions of at least 18 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. The confessions were obtained under duress and torture, and were broadcast on Press TV without the prisoners' consent.
- Sources
“ORWELLIAN STATE: ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN’S STATE MEDIA AS A WEAPON OF MASS SUPPRESSION”, FIDH & JFI, June 2020 https://justice4iran.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ORWELLIAN-STATE-ISLAMIC-REPUBLIC-OF-IRAN%E2%80%99S-STATE-MEDIA-AS-A-WEAPON-OF-MASS-SUPPRESSION-English-1.pdf
"Hadi Rashedi and Hashem Shabani, two Ahwazi Arab prisoners were executed", Justice for Iran, February 30, 2014 https://justice4iran.org/persian/news/newshadi-rashedi-hashem-shabaninejad/
"Khaled Mousavi and Ali Chebishat٬ Two Ahwazi Arab Prisoners Executed", Justice for Iran, June 13, 2014 https://justice4iran.org/persian/news/execution-of-ahwazi-arab-activists/
"Documentary: Lost in the Dark", Forced Confessions of Prisoners, Press TV, 2014
- Human Rights Violation: Producing and broadcasting forced confessions ( 2007-2014) read more
- Head of IRIB (8 Nov 2014 - May 2016)
- Human Rights Violation: Producing and broadcasting forced confessions (8 Nov 2014 - May 2016) read more
- Institution
- Head of IRIB
- Location
- (National)
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to freedom from torture, Right to freedom of expression, Right to privacy
- Description
- As head of the IRIB, he was responsible for recording and broadcasting forced confessions of dozens of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. The confessions were obtained under duress and torture, and were broadcast on the IRIB TV channels without the prisoners' consent.
- Sources
“ORWELLIAN STATE: ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN’S STATE MEDIA AS A WEAPON OF MASS SUPPRESSION”, FIDH & JFI, June 2020 https://justice4iran.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ORWELLIAN-STATE-ISLAMIC-REPUBLIC-OF-IRAN%E2%80%99S-STATE-MEDIA-AS-A-WEAPON-OF-MASS-SUPPRESSION-English-1.pdf
"Documentary: Lost in the Dark", Forced Confessions of Prisoners, Press TV, 2014 https://vimeo.com/79671895
- Human Rights Violation: Producing and broadcasting forced confessions (8 Nov 2014 - May 2016) read more
- Member of the Supreme Council for Cyberspace (Feb 2012 - present)
- Human Rights Violation: Censoring the internet (February 2012-Present) read more
- Institution
- Supreme Council of Cyberspace
- Location
- Rights Violated
- Right to freedom of expression, Right to privacy
- Description
-
As a member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, he has been responsible for controlling, censoring, and filtering the internet and prosecuting cyberspace users, preventing free access to information and restricting freedom of expression.
- Sources
"Human Rights Violators: The Supreme Council of Cyberspace", Justice for Iran, 2017 https://justice4iran.org/persian/human-rights-violator-s-profiles/supreme-council-of-cyberspace/
Full text of "Policies and measures for organizing social messengers", approved by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, 2017 https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/shora-6.pdf
Rewiring Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, Small Media, https://smallmedia.org.uk/news/rewiring-irans-supreme-council-of-cyberspace
- Human Rights Violation: Censoring the internet (February 2012-Present) read more
In March 2013, the European Union banned Mohammad Sarafraz from entering the EU due to his role in widespread and severe violations of the rights of Iranian citizens, and all possible assets will be confiscated in Europe. According to the EU statement, "Under his direction Press TV, along with IRIB, has worked with the Iranian security services and prosecutors to broadcast forced confessions of detainees, including that of Iranian-Canadian journalist and film-maker Maziar Bahari, in the weekly programme "Iran Today".