The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists “strongly condemned” alleged death threats targeting the Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad in 2020 by Iran’s clerical regime.
The Jerusalem Post on Monday published a statement the organization posted on its website on July 14 after the FBI revealed that Iranian regime intelligence operatives sought to kidnap Alinejad.
“US officials’ indictment of five Iranian nationals suspected of plotting to kidnap journalist Masih Alinejad shows that Iranian intelligence agents will stop at nothing to silence independent members of the press, even those abroad,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour, adding that “US authorities must ensure that the perpetrators of this scheme are held to account, and Iran must cease its efforts to harass and harm journalists globally.”
The Jerusalem Post asked Santa-Wood if CPJ regrets its refusal in December, 2020 to condemn the death threats against Alinejad. At the time, Santa-Wood wrote that “I checked with my colleagues and they said they have looked into this situation, but at this time believe she has been targeted as an activist, rather than in response to her journalism, so it wouldn't be a case for CPJ. We are continuing to monitor the case, and should anything change or we choose to publish something, I would be happy to send it your way.”
Alinejad is a journalist for Voice of America and a women's rights activist.
