The appeal follows the Pezeshkian administration’s decision to withdraw the controversial draft bill titled “Combating the Dissemination of False News Content”.
In their letter, the professors praised the withdrawal of the bill but underlined that broader changes are needed to make Iran compatible with the realities of the modern information age.
“Now that the bill has been withdrawn, we teachers of journalism and communications expect that the barriers of filtering will be lifted, especially in a world undergoing such rapid transformation in communication technologies”, the letter said.
The academics warned that ignoring professional organizations and expert views in the policymaking process, particularly through the imposition of unscientific laws, poses serious threats to social cohesion and freedom of expression.
“Without recognizing the right to express differing views and ensuring citizens’ freedom of speech, the very foundations of social life are endangered”, they said.
The signatories described the removal of internet filtering as a matter of national interest and a step toward safeguarding fundamental rights and democratic discourse in the country.
