Iranian authorities have issued an indictment against Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and several figures associated with the opposition broadcasters Manoto TV, which ceased operations a few weeks ago, and Iran International, accusing them of helping instigate the nationwide protests that swept the country on January 8 and 9 of this year.
Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi announced on Saturday night that the indictment had been issued, saying the case would be referred to court for trial within the coming days.
"Today, I must announce that the indictment against Reza Pahlavi and other anti-regime elements from the Manoto and Iran International networks has been issued," Salehi said. "God willing, within the next few days, it will be sent to the court for judicial proceedings."
According to Salehi, the defendants are accused of "creating the conditions" for the unrest on January 8 and 9, 2026.
State-affiliated media, including Fars News Agency, carried Salehi's remarks but provided no further details about the case, the evidence supporting the allegations, or the legal basis for prosecuting the defendants.
Estimated 40,000 Iranians killed by IRGC during protests
The January 8-9 demonstrations were among the bloodiest protests in Iran in recent years. Estimates state that around 40,000 Iranians were killed by state security forces. The unrest began in late December with strikes and demonstrations by Tehran’s bazaar merchants over the growing economic crisis before rapidly spreading to cities across the country.
The protests followed calls by Pahlavi for nationwide demonstrations. Human rights organizations and opposition activists said large crowds gathered in numerous cities before security forces violently dispersed the demonstrations.
Responding to the indictment, former Manoto editor-in-chief Tina Ghazimorad dismissed the move as politically motivated.
“The reported indictment of Prince Reza Pahlavi and media professionals from Manoto over the January 8-9 uprising is not a legal act. It is political intimidation,” Ghazimorad told The Jerusalem Post.
Ghazimorad revealed that Iranian authorities had also placed her name on a property confiscation list.
“I do not own property in Iran, so this has no practical impact on me personally,” she said. “But even if I did, I would wear it as a badge of honor. I am not an enemy of Iran. I am an enemy of the enemy of Iran: the Islamic Republic.”
She accused Tehran of attempting to silence journalists and activists beyond its borders.
Islamic Republic concerned of Iranians living abroad, tries to criminalize journalism
“This regime is trying to criminalize journalism, activism, and support for the Iranian people,” she told the Post. “It shuts down the internet during moments of crisis, does not allow a free press to exist inside Iran, and tightly controls access for international media. Now, it is trying to extend that same control beyond Iran’s borders by threatening journalists, media workers, and members of the diaspora who live in democratic countries.”
“The regime can confiscate property, but it cannot confiscate conviction,” Ghazimorad added. “When so many brave Iranians have sacrificed their lives for our country’s liberation, the loss of property is the smallest price anyone can pay.”
She argued that the indictment reflected the Islamic Republic’s concern over the role played by Iranians living abroad.
“What this really reveals is the regime’s fear,” she said. “It knows Iranians abroad have become an important bridge between the Iranian people and the outside world, exposing its crimes and ensuring that voices from inside Iran are heard. These threats will not intimidate us. If anything, they strengthen our determination to continue until Iran is free.”