Iranian Journalist Stabbed by Municipality Forces After Critical Post

Environmental journalist Masoud Lahout reported on his X account that a journalist was attacked with knives by Ardabil municipality security forces.

After publishing criticism of the Ardabil Municipality Cultural Organization, the journalist was first threatened by phone and forced to delete his post.

Hours later, while heading home for iftar, he was attacked and beaten by occupants of two vehicles, including municipal cultural organization security officers armed with knives.

IranWire has identified the victim as Meysam Rashidi of the Qartal Ardabil news agency.

Before the attack, Rashidi had released a video criticizing the Ardabil Municipality football team’s management.

He wrote: “Why don’t you gather 11 players and train them? Every day, four people come and go. The technical staff are municipal employees receiving salaries from both the municipality and the football team.”

According to Lahout, Rashidi’s mother witnessed the stabbing of her son and fainted at the scene. Both mother and son are currently hospitalized.