🔺 Two years in prison for scientific cooperation with foreign entities without the approval of the Ministry of Intelligence

▪ The Parliament (Islamic Consultative Assembly) has set a sentence of between six months and two years’ imprisonment for any kind of scientific cooperation with foreign universities, institutes, and organizations that the Ministry of Intelligence has not approved.

▪ This resolution is part of a bill, as claimed by representatives, regarding “countering the influence of intelligence services and governments or foreign entities in the country.”

▪ Under this bill, a broad range of direct or indirect cooperation with abroad is criminalized.

▪ In this bill, receiving scholarships from governments and universities that the Ministry of Intelligence has not approved, interviews with foreign media without permission, sending information, contact with embassies, and the production of cultural works—according to the bill—are prohibited as being “under the guidance of foreigners.”