Iran’s Foreign Contact Bill Could Turn Everyday Communication Into a Crime

Sara Hossain, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, said the proposal would place everyday Iranians at risk of blanket criminalisation merely for maintaining contact with the wider world.

A proposed law in Iran could expose journalists, academics, artists, activists, business owners and ordinary citizens to prison sentences of up to 30 years for communicating with people or organisations outside the country, prompting the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to demand its immediate withdrawal. Known as the 'Countering Foreign Infiltration' bill, the legislation would treat loosely defined cooperation or interaction with selected foreign governments, media organisations, universities, human rights defenders and civil society groups as serious national security offences.

Routine international contact could require state permission

The bill would require Iranians to declare and register activities involving foreign nationals or so-called foreign agents, then seek approval through an online system shaped by the security priorities of the Ministry of Intelligence and the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The language is broad enough to cover many ordinary professional and personal exchanges, leaving people uncertain about which conversations, collaborations or transactions could attract investigation and punishment.

Publishing a book or article, sharing research findings, exchanging data, working with an overseas university, speaking to foreign media, or operating a newspaper or website could all require prior authorisation. Cultural life would face similar controls, with approval potentially needed to attend virtual or in-person workshops, join scientific conferences, participate in artistic festivals, receive certificates, or produce and exhibit films, music and visual art. Financial and commercial activity, including transferring money or providing goods and services, would also fall under the proposed system.

UN experts warn of fear, censorship and deeper isolation

Sara Hossain, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, said the proposal would place everyday Iranians at risk of blanket criminalisation merely for maintaining contact with the wider world. Many people are already living with the effects of international sanctions, repression following recent protests, an unprecedented internet shutdown and U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, making the prospect of tighter state control especially damaging for families, professionals and communities seeking information or support abroad.

Mission expert Viviana Krsticevic warned that the measure could bring nearly every international interaction under government supervision, with consequences reaching far beyond political speech. Students could lose access to academic opportunities, researchers could be cut off from scientific partnerships, artists could avoid international events, small businesses could struggle to complete routine transactions, and victims of abuses could be prevented from sharing their experiences with international organisations. Fear of prosecution may silence people even when their activities are lawful and peaceful.

The Mission said the legislation would breach several basic rights, including freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of association. Its effects could also undermine education, employment, cultural participation, personal liberty and the right to an adequate standard of living. Severe prison terms attached to vaguely defined conduct would give authorities wide discretion while offering citizens little clarity about what could be considered unlawful.

Contact with UN investigators must remain protected

The UN body stressed that victims, witnesses and civil society representatives have the right to communicate freely with its investigators without intimidation or retaliation. Human Rights Council resolutions protect cooperation with the Mission, and any attempt to punish people for providing information could be treated as a reprisal against engagement with the United Nations.

Mission expert Max du Plessis said criminalising contact with the investigative body would amount to intimidation and oppression. The Mission plans to monitor the bill and report alleged reprisals to the UN Secretary-General and the Human Rights Council, warning that the threat alone could discourage survivors, families and witnesses from seeking justice or describing violations. It has urged Iranian authorities to withdraw the legislation before it becomes law and causes deeper damage to civic life, knowledge-sharing and the country's connection with the outside world.