Brussels – 10 June 2019
Journalism at the Service of Democracy or a Weapon Against Democracy Norwegian DN correspondent and the Iranian Mojahedin There is a common understanding in Europe that freedom of speech and the free press are the indispensable pillars for, and the greatest guarantee of, democracy. Dictatorships also use the press to consolidate their rule. But when Western media serves dictatorships, it poses the greatest threat to democracy. This is a phenomenon that we have experienced multiple times since the Second World War. One of the bitter experiences in this regard is the approach adopted by some in the Western press vis-à-vis the religious dictatorship ruling Iran. This is a regime that suppresses freedoms of speech and the press domestically, and exploits a few in the Western media, a portion of them wittingly and others unwittingly. The case of Dagens Næringsliv A detailed examination by the International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ) regarding statements and letters issued by the Iranian opposition in regard of Dagens Næringsliv (Norwegian daily) and its “upcoming” article, as well as the emails sent by respective reporter and editor to the representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the legal adviser of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Albania clearly uncovers a political agenda in line with Tehran’s misinformation campaign. The ISJ which has enjoyed the support of thousands of parliamentarians across the Atlantic in recent years, has, among other initiatives, conducted particularly specific and accurate research regarding both the regime and the PMOI/MEK and NCRI, and their members, over the past two decades and has participated in many court cases on related matters. The ISJ has a series of documents that were prepared as a result of the cooperation, research and face-to-face interviews of parliamentary delegations and lawyers with members of the PMOI and NCRI. The very absurd and baseless accusations coming from unnamed sources focusing on demonizing the only remaining resistance movement standing up to the brutal dictatorship of the mullahs in Iran, leaves one wondering of the real motives of this paper. At any rate, we are making this public call to this newspaper and the Norwegian media and political community to warn of Tehran’s agenda to infiltrate the press in Norway, a country known for its brave resistance against dictatorship. The editor has written to the PMOI’s legal adviser in Albania that DN focuses on investigative journalism, and that Mr Eskil Engdal is an investigative reporter. The question is: how did this reporter and the newspaper suddenly came to the realization that the PMOI, the only organized resistance movement to the Iranian theocracy should be investigated? Why have they failed so far to investigate the Iranian regime's human rights violations or terrorism? Why has he not investigated the illegal activities of the Iranian regime's embassy in Oslo? Why has it not investigated the case of Mohammad Davoudzadeh Louloui (an Iranian terrorist and a Norwegian citizen), who was arrested in Denmark and has close relations with the Iranian regime's Ambassador to Oslo? Why has this investigative reporter failed to cover the Iranian regime's attack on a Norwegian ship in Fujairah? Does anyone with common sense doubt that this effort shows a political plan with predefined objectives? At a time when the mullahs face a deep crisis of overthrow and are struggling with the scandal of failed terrorist plots in Europe, they are in dire need of further demonizing their main opposition. Now it appears that this investigative reporter has accepted this mandate from the heavens. The DN editor writes: In a democracy, both states, organizations and influential individuals must accept being exposed to investigative journalism. The best way to handle this is to answer the questions being asked. P: ISJ, Rue d’Arlon 63, B-1040 Brussels - T: +32 2 400 1071 - E: info@isjcommittee.com - W: isjcommittee.com