Iran jury finds Reuters bureau chief guilty over video script

Iran’s Press TV said the final decision will be made by a judge, who is expected to issue his verdict next month.

In March, the Iranian government suspended the accreditation of Reuters staff in Tehran after publication of a video script on women’s martial arts training that incorrectly referred to the athletes as “assassins”. Since then, Reuters journalists have not been able to report inside Iran. Most staff in Tehran moved to Dubai but bureau chief Parisa Hafezi, an Iranian national, was banned from travelling and her passport was confiscated.

“A jury member at a Tehran penal court told Press TV on Sunday that the news agency was found guilty of propagating against the Islamic Republic and disseminating false information to disturb public opinion,” Press TV said in an article on its website. It said the court was due to issue its ruling early in October, adding that Reuters could appeal. In the media court the jury acts in an advisory capacity and the final verdict rests with the judge.

The court seldom deals with international news outlets but often issues rulings against domestic media for various violations with punishments including fines, closure or jail sentences. In the past, Iranian authorities have revoked credentials of staff of foreign media or expelled foreign staff over reporting deemed objectionable, such as interviews with opposition figures.

Barb Burg, a spokeswoman for Reuters, said: “We understand that the jury has stated its view and we now await the court’s ruling. We do not intend to comment further until a decision is issued.”

Reuters corrected the story and apologised for the error after the martial arts club where the video was recorded made a complaint. The story’s headline, “Thousands of female Ninjas train as Iran’s assassins”, was corrected to read “Three thousand women Ninjas train in Iran”.

Hafezi, pictured, joined Reuters in 2003 and held various reporting positions in the Tehran bureau before being appointed bureau chief in 2009. As such, she leads Reuters’ Iran operations but is responsible only for text stories written by the bureau, not the visuals, captions or scripts produced by television journalists or photographers. 

Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said in March the company had conducted an internal review after the incorrect TV script was published and had taken steps to prevent a recurrence.

“Reuters always strives for the highest standards in journalism and our policy is to acknowledge errors honestly and correct them promptly when they occur,” he added. ■