Iran confirms journalist defected while covering nuclear talks in Switzerland
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 30 March 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iran confirms journalist defected while covering nuclear talks in Switzerland, 30 March 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/552f9db432.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 30, 2015
By RFE/RL
Iran's government has confirmed that an Iranian journalist had defected while covering negotiations in Switzerland between Tehran and world powers on the country's nuclear program.
In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency late on March 29, Iran's Foreign Ministry said the journalist defected last week and was suspended from his job at the semi-official ISCA agency.
ISCA editor Amir Hossein Motaqi told RFE/RL on March 26 that he decided to seek asylum in Switzerland after being hampered in his journalistic work by Iranian officials.
"Officials from the Foreign Ministry demanded that we cover the news they wanted – news that was not true – or not to cover news that they didn't want to be published," Motaqi told RFE/RL in a telephone interview from Lausanne.
Motaqi has campaigned for Hassan Rohani in the run-up to the 2013 presidential election.
With reporting by Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
