What's At Stake?

Protest Closure of Iranian Women's Magazine

Zanan, which means "women" in Persian, was established in 1992 by Shahla Sherkat, who continues to serve as its managing director. There have been 152 issues of the magazine, many of which were produced despite financial trouble and political harassment. The magazine regularly runs articles dealing with women's health, parenting, and legal issues and is one of the most popular publications in the country.

On January 29, 2008, Zanan staff was notified by the Press Supervisory Council, an agency of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, that their license was to be cancelled immediately due to the psychological threat the magazine posed to Iranian society. According to reports, the specific article that caught the authorities' attention discussed the rape of a woman by two members of Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary group with strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

Under the Press Law, the closure order should be reviewed by the Press Court before it is enforced. However, many publications have been indefinitely suspended and effectively closed on the basis of decisions of the Press Supervisory Council acting without judicial authorization. This is a violation of Iranian law.

According to an editorial in the Boston Globe, the magazine was also accused of having an 'extreme feminist stance.' Zanan has argued that the legal discrimination suffered by women in Iran is not mandated by Islamic law and that therefore it can and should be changed.

In the past two years, nearly 40 Iranian publications have had their licenses revoked or been banned by the Press Supervisory Council. The recent closure of Zanan thus represents an escalation in the long-standing trend of censoring the press and silencing those publications that provide space for discussion of the human rights situation in Iran.

Online media outlets have been particularly persecuted. Previously, for example, the websites of women's groups have been shut down (see HRF alert here). Reporters Without Borders gives Iran its worst possible ranking for press censorship and persecution.

Read the New York Times editorial here.

Read the Boston Globe editorial here.

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		What's At Stake? Protest Closure of Iranian Women's Magazine Zanan, which means "women" in Persian, was established in 1992 by Shahla Sherkat, who continues to serve as its managing director. There have been 152 issues of the magazine, many of which were produced despite financial trouble and political harassment. The magazine regularly runs articles dealing with women's health, parenting, and legal issues and is one of the most popular publications in the country. On January 29, 2008, Zanan staff was notified by the Press Supervisory Council, an agency of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, that their license was to be cancelled immediately due to the psychological threat the magazine posed to Iranian society. According to reports, the specific article that caught the authorities' attention discussed the rape of a woman by two members of Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary group with strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Under the Press Law, the closure order should be reviewed by the Press Court before it is enforced. However, many publications have been indefinitely suspended and effectively closed on the basis of decisions of the Press Supervisory Council acting without judicial authorization. This is a violation of Iranian law. According to an editorial in the Boston Globe, the magazine was also accused of having an 'extreme feminist stance.' Zanan has argued that the legal discrimination suffered by women in Iran is not mandated by Islamic law and that therefore it can and should be changed. In the past two years, nearly 40 Iranian publications have had their licenses revoked or been banned by the Press Supervisory Council. The recent closure of Zanan thus represents an escalation in the long-standing trend of censoring the press and silencing those publications that provide space for discussion of the human rights situation in Iran. Online media outlets have been particularly persecuted. Previously, for example, the websites of women's groups have been shut down (see HRF alert here). Reporters Without Borders gives Iran its worst possible ranking for press censorship and persecution. Read the New York Times editorial here. Read the Boston Globe editorial here. Go Back