Sanctioning Iranian National Media Journalists in International Law

While the efforts of human rights campaigns are aimed at increasing the protection of journalists and providing them with more effective guarantees, in an unprecedented action, several Iranian journalists, including Ali Rezvani, have been sanctioned by Western countries. Before this, Individuals taking part in military and nuclear activities and senior officials have been subjected to smart sanctions, but the recent decision of the U.S. Treasury Department, the EU, and Canada to sanction Iranian journalists has created a new debate in international human rights. In this research, the bases of international protection for journalists, whether independent or affiliated with governments are evaluated in the framework of human rights; then the legal bases of sanctioning Ali Rezvani and its legitimacy are studied based on his actions. According to the findings of the present article, this journalist's actions cannot be categorized as a "gross and systematic violation" of human rights. On the other hand, the prohibition of countermeasures against human rights and the teachings of the theory of labelling challenge the legitimacy of the imposed sanctions. The result of the research shows that these sanctions are not only in conflict with the fundamental human rights of individuals but also inconsistent with the inherent professional task of a journalist that is in the realm of freedom of information. It seems that these sanctions are based on personal grudges toward the activities of certain persons rather than on legal grounds.