Masoud Lavasani

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Masoud Lavasani is an Iranian journalist and blogger from Tehran, born in 1979. He worked for several newspapers and news agencies, including Mehr News Agency, Aftab Yazd (where he was culture editor), Shargh, Hamshahri, and Etemad. He was well known in cultural circles for his reporting, interviews, and his outspoken coverage of censorship and book culture. He also wrote and reported on cultural issues and tolerance, focusing on Iran, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Turkey.

In 2009, following Iran’s disputed presidential election, Lavasani was arrested on June 30. He faced charges such as propaganda against the regime, conspiracy and acting against national security, and insults to the Supreme Leader via his weblog. He was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison and banned from journalism for life. On appeal, his sentence was reduced to six years in prison and a ten-year journalism ban.

Lavasani was held in Evin Prison under difficult conditions, including periods in solitary confinement and harsh treatment. He reportedly went on a hunger strike to protest prison conditions, and his health deteriorated. His family and supporters raised concerns about his well‑being, with reports of a nervous breakdown and hospital visits to the prison clinic.

After more than nine months in prison, Lavasani was released on a short leave in July 2010. His case drew attention from human rights groups and journalists, highlighting the risks faced by Iranian reporters and the ongoing issues of press freedom in the country.