Iran Media Censors Polish FM On Iranian Media Censorship

ByGolnaz Esfandiari, RFE/R

The Polish foreign minister was in Iran to explore business opportunities in the country.

WASHINGTON -- Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski expressed shock after seeing Iranian media censorship at work during his recent trip to Tehran, and bewilderment after discovering his critical message was not aired on Iranian television.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on March 1, Sikorski publicly put his counterpart on the spot.

"I would also like to add that I mentioned to the minister that yesterday from Isfahan I tried to log onto a website of a major Polish newspaper and, unfortunately, I could not do it. I was told that the website was blocked by censorship. For us, coming from a country that fought for freedom of speech, this came as a shock,"Sikorski said.

The Polish foreign minister went on to say that he also stressed to Zarif the need for human-rights dialogue, and underscored that the world has taken note of the recent rise in executions in the Islamic republic.

Avideolater released by the Polish Foreign Ministry puts Sikorski's comments on the record for all to see, but Iran's tightly controlled media left his criticisms on the cutting floor.

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Iran Media Censors Polish FM On Iranian Media Censorship