Ahmad Hashemi on Self-Censorship, Threats, and Intimidation within the Iranian Diaspora

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, June 19, 2018

Ahmad Hashemi

According to Ahmad Hashemi, people who interact with Iranian communities abroad are afraid to express their thoughts due to certain restrictions and red lines.

The former employee of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says he was subjected to serious attacks after sharing a photo on his Facebook page from an event in Washington held to mark the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.


Ahmad Hashemi explained the situation in an interview with Voice of America.

He had shared a photo on his Facebook page taken with Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, along with a statement.

In the statement, Ahmad Hashemi expressed his wish that one day Reza Pahlavi would also attend an event held to celebrate “the liberation of South Azerbaijan from discrimination.”

“This did not sit well with Iranian nationalists, and they started attacking me. I received written and verbal threats against myself and my family. In the end, I decided to temporarily deactivate my Facebook page,” Hashemi said.

Ahmad Hashemi and Reza Pahlavi

According to him, such threats and red lines force people who are connected with the Iranian community in the U.S. to self-censor.

Hashemi stated, “The lack of development in freedom of thought in Iran also affects opposition groups abroad. They have many red lines. Many of these red lines also apply to human rights topics. This limits people. It’s not easy to speak freely.”

He added, “These threats naturally have an impact. They tie people’s hands when it comes to writing and speaking. That is, when there are threats, people reconsider certain things before doing something a second time... The Iranian community here isn’t very large. One way or another, you run into people.”