Iran’s judiciary has moved to confiscate assets belonging to exiled journalists and other Iranians accused of “cooperation with hostile governments,” a measure announced in late September that targets roughly 400 people living abroad, including reporters, activists, artists and athletes. The case of Amir Soltanzadeh, an exiled freelance journalist who has occasionally worked for Germany’s international broadcaster DW, illustrates how Iranian authorities use bank accounts, family ties and property left behind to exert pressure beyond Iran’s borders. Soltanzadeh discovered his name on a government list labeled by state media as “traitors to the homeland,” and he says his assets were marked for seizure.
Key Takeaways: Iran’s judiciary said in late September that it would seize assets of people accused of “cooperation with hostile governments,” part of a plan covering about 400 individuals abroad. Soltanzadeh’s bank account in Iran was frozen, containing around €500 ($555), and he says his father lost his job because of his journalism. The measures form part of a broader pattern of pressure on independent reporters, including online surveillance and family-related coercion.
The asset seizures are not an isolated step but part of a recurring pattern in the Islamic Republic’s approach to independent journalism during periods of political tension. Western media outlets and journalists are often portrayed by official voices as agents of hostile intelligence services such as the CIA or Mossad, or as channels for subversive propaganda. According to the source material, authorities have many tools for monitoring reporters, including hacking social media accounts and intercepting conversations that are later used as evidence against their contacts inside Iran. Such repression also affects the information that reaches the public, because reporters inside the country must weigh legal risks and censorship before publishing.
Soltanzadeh said the only property he owns in his parents’ house in Iran is a bookshelf, and he published a photo of his book collection earlier this year with a defiant message: “This library is my only asset in Iran. If you enjoy reading books, go ahead and confiscate them.” He called it “unjust” to be listed as a traitor, stressing: “I have not acted against Iran. Every position I have taken was ultimately aimed at improving the lives of people in Iran.” He said the frozen account contained about €500 ($555), which he had used to buy gifts and flowers for family members; some relatives cut ties with his family because of his work, and his father lost his job because of him.
The pressure also extended to his family contacts. For several months, Soltanzadeh cut all direct communication with his family to keep them safe and communicated only through an intermediary. He also said that some people who adopt the government’s narrative automatically equate a journalist working abroad with a spy, seeing such a reporter as someone paid to gather information. An Iran-based journalist who requested anonymity said reporting on detainees, state executions and the treatment of protesters carries major risks and restrictions. “Journalists can only write on their personal pages in a very limited and censored way,” the reporter said, adding that in their reports they are required to follow the government’s official narrative.
There is no indication that the asset-confiscation plan has been withdrawn or narrowed, and the listed individuals remain exposed to financial pressure, travel-related risks and family coercion. Press-freedom groups are likely to continue documenting such cases, but the practical effect inside Iran is a chilling one: independent reporting becomes harder, sources become more cautious and the public receives less verified information about detention, executions and protests. The next signal to watch is whether Iranian courts formalize seizures in individual cases and whether any of the roughly 400 people named can challenge the measures through legal channels.
Source: www.dw.com