Iran Rescinds NYT Reporter’s Credentials

Iran has put a temporary hold on New York Times reporter Thomas Erdbrink’s press credential, according to the Times.

Erdbrink’s credential was revoked in February; the Iranian government has told the Times that his credential will eventually be restored but has not specified when Erdbrink will be allowed to report again. Iran has also given an explanation on why Erdbrink’s credential was revoked in the first place.

The Iranian government is also blocking Erdbrink’s wife, Newsha Tavakolian, from doing her job in being a photographer for the Times. The couple currently resides in Tehran. The Times report states that they are optimistic that Erdrink and Tavakolian will eventually be allowed to resume their work.

Erdbrink has been covering Iranian issues in Tehran for the past 12 years; the past seven have been with the Times. In March 2015, Erdbrink told PBS, “Working as a Western reporter is complicated. Sometimes, I’m unpleasantly reminded of this fact, like that morning in July when my friend and colleague Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post was arrested. Nobody knows why he’s being held.” The Iranian government released Rezaian in 2016.

Erdbrink added, “Working here is like walking a tightrope, but a reporter can do much more than one might expect. There is no problem for me and a colleague to visit the Friday prayer session. If you want to know what’s going on in the minds of the religious leaders, you should come here and listen carefully.”

Tablet’s Yair Rosenberg tweeted that Iran’s treatment of Erdbrink “doesn’t just affect him; it sends a message to every other foreign reporter aimed at chilling coverage.”

https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/status/1138206171158810625

According to Human Rights Watch, Iran frequently jails journalists under the auspices of “national security” and doesn’t provide them with much recourse for due process.