In an interview via email with Al-Monitor, Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, a prominent reformist journalist shared his thoughts about President Hassan Rouhani’s promises on freedom of the press. Shamsolvaezin was the editor-in-chief and founder of several reformist dailies that were closed in a crackdown on the press between 1998 and 2000: the groundbreaking Kian, which was at one time at the forefront of intellectual and religious discourse in Iran, Jame'eh (later Tous), Neshat, and Asr-e Azadegan. He was imprisoned numerous times for his criticisms of government policies, the longest prison term being 2½ years spent in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison. He is also a former recipient of the Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) 2000 International Press Freedom award for courage and independence in reporting the news.

The interview:

Al-Monitor: During his campaign, Hassan Rouhani repeatedly promised freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Based on this platform, he galvanized massive support from reformists and those in favor of change. In your opinion, how well has President Rouhani met the expectations of Iranian journalists?

Shamsolvaezin: During his campaign, Mr. Rouhani promised to reopen the Association of Iranian Journalists, which was shut down following the 2009 protests, but that has not occurred yet. The association is one of the largest of its kind. It has 4,000 members and is a member of the International Labor Organization and the International Federation of Journalists. This association does not have the permit to be active. Currently, Mr. Rouhani’s promise is stuck somewhere between three ministries: labor, intelligence and culture. Mr. Rouhani avoids confronting the judiciary and has left the journalists defenseless and destitute. Several weeks ago, 1,200 journalists wrote a letter to him, demanding that he would fulfill his campaign promises.