Iran parliament backs controversial anti-infiltration plan targeting foreign links

Tehran: Iran’s parliament has approved the broad principles of a proposed law aimed at combating alleged foreign “infiltration”, sparking concern over restrictions on academic cooperation, media activity, cultural production and personal freedoms.

The legislation was approved during a parliamentary session held remotely on Sunday. A revised 33-article draft released on Wednesday provides further details of the proposed measures, which would require a wide range of interactions with foreign entities to be registered and, in some cases, approved in advance.

The bill has yet to become law. It must be formally ratified by parliament and then reviewed by the Guardian Council, Iran’s 12-member constitutional watchdog. The process could take weeks or months, as reported by Al Jazeera.

The proposal comes as there are heightened tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel. Supporters have described it as a measure to strengthen national security and complement legislation passed after last year’s 12-day war that introduced tougher penalties for espionage.

Lawmaker Ruhollah Nejabat was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that the plan had initially been approved earlier this year to counter what he described as attempts by Iran’s enemies to exert influence inside the country.

Under the latest draft, activities involving foreign counterparts that could fall under the legislation include publishing, scientific cooperation, scholarships, research, statistics, media work, legal services, financial transactions, trade and artistic production.

The proposed law would divide foreign countries into three categories based on the level of scrutiny applied to interactions with them, with the United States and Israel expected to fall into the highest-risk category.

The Interior Ministry would establish a registration portal through which foreign-linked activities would have to be declared. Existing activities would have to be registered within three months of the portal becoming operational.

The proposed legislation would also require the education, science and health ministries to incorporate awareness of alleged “enemy infiltration” and media literacy into educational material, with input from the Intelligence Ministry and the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.

Foreign media activity would face particularly stringent restrictions. The draft requires registration and prior permission for interactions with foreign media. Unauthorised interviews or conversations with media organisations considered hostile by the Iranian government would also be prohibited.

Violations could result in prison terms ranging from six months to several years.

The proposed legislation also prescribes severe punishment for knowingly providing false information, analysis or policy recommendations under foreign direction if such actions are deemed to harm Iran’s security or undermine public confidence in the state. The maximum punishment specified is 30 years in prison.

The cultural sector would also come under the proposed law. Foreign-supported or directed films, music, books and other artistic works that challenge religious rules or are considered to portray Iran negatively or promote “anti-Islamic culture” could face fines, production bans and permanent professional restrictions.

Activities involving Iran’s armed forces and Intelligence Ministry, as well as participation by political officials in relevant foreign activities, would be exempt from the proposed registration requirements.

The legislation has faced opposition from within President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government.

Majid Ansari, the president’s deputy for legal affairs, said the government was “explicitly opposed” to the proposal, arguing that it could impose serious restrictions on scientific research and cooperation between Iranian academics and their international counterparts.

Ansari warned that the legislation could further damage Iran’s international image and accelerate the country’s long-running brain drain. He also argued that several provisions were inconsistent with constitutional protections and citizens’ rights and freedoms.

He said Iran’s more serious security vulnerabilities lay in larger-scale weaknesses within the establishment rather than the “minor and lower-level infiltration” targeted by the proposed legislation.

The proposal has also drawn criticism from sections of Iran’s media. Nournews, affiliated with the Supreme National Security Council, warned that the legislation appeared more likely to restrict the press, political parties and citizens than to counter foreign infiltration.

Reformist newspaper Shargh described it as a “law against communication”, while legal expert and university professor Kambiz Norouzi told the state-linked Iranian Labour News Agency that he was “baffled” by the proposal and considered it inconsistent with fundamental rights.

Norouzi said the draft could undergo substantial changes before final approval but argued that its approval in principle demonstrated parliamentary support for measures that could significantly restrict public freedoms.

The proposal has nevertheless received strong backing from ultraconservative sections of the Iranian establishment. The Kayhan newspaper defended the legislation, arguing that it should concern only people with undisclosed foreign connections. The Jam-e Jam newspaper, published by Iran’s state broadcaster, described it as a “revolutionary resolution”.

The proposed law has also caused anxiety among academics and students. A University of Tehran medical researcher planning to pursue a PhD abroad said many students and academics were worried about the possible consequences, particularly for Iranians studying overseas who have participated in protests critical of the government.

The researcher, who requested anonymity because of security concerns, told Al Jazeera that the legislation could create difficulties for students returning to Iran if authorities interpreted their overseas activities as foreign-linked conduct.