Iran: Exiled journalists still repressed by regime

For many independent reporters, leaving Iran does not mean fully escaping the grasp of the Iranian state. The regime uses family members, bank accounts and the property they left behind to apply pressure across borders.

In times of crisis, Iran 's political system is looking for scapegoats — and independent journalists , even journalists who have been living in exile for a long time, are high on their list . At the end of September, Iran's judiciary announced that it had confiscated assets belonging to individuals accused of "cooperation with hostile governments." The measure is part of a previously announced plan targeting around 400 people living abroad, including journalists, activists, artists and athletes, whose assets are to be seized.

"The only thing I own in my parents' house in Iran is a bookshelf," says Amir Soltanzadeh. The exiled freelance journalist, who occasionally works for Germany's international broadcaster DW, discovered his name on a government list, which Iranian state media had labeled "traitors to the homeland." His assets were to be seized.