Administrative detention of the media in Iranian law in the light of the opinions and performance of the Press and News Agency Supervisory Board

Confiscation of the media is an exception to the principle of media freedom, and in normal legal systems, this exception is only within the jurisdiction of judicial authorities, which occurs in a minimal way and with full compliance with the principle of freedom of media expression. In Iran's legal system, in addition to the jurisdiction of the judicial authorities in confiscating the media, the administrative authority (the supervisory board for the press and news agencies and internet sites) has discretionary authority to confiscate the press and media, which increases the number of cases of confiscation of the media. It follows that it is against the principle of freedom of speech and media.The present research has tried to answer the question of the legal system governing the administrative (non-judicial) seizure of the media in Iran through the content analysis of the opinions related to the seizure of the press issued by the press supervision board during the last decade by applying the qualitative research method. What impact has it had on the freedom of the press and the media that the results of the investigation indicate the indiscriminate use of the supervisory board's authority to seize the media according to Article 12 of the Law of the Press and News Agencies - contrary to the principle of freedom of speech and the press.