Acting governor of the Iranian city of Rafsanjan has been sacked from his post for what officials call insulting a journalist.
Ali Akbar Pour Mohamamdi was removed after footage emerged of a press briefing in which he angrily responded to a question from the reporter about alleged water supply by Pour Mohammadi to a famous person in Rafsanjan.
The reporter also accused the acting governor of supporting the person, in response to which Pour Mohammadi threatened to “smack you in the chops if you say that again”.
Rafsanjan’s acting governor was fired directly by Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi.
Many other officials also reacted to the video including the director general for the press and internal news agencies of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Iman Shamsaee said, “A journalist is the voice of the people and their ears and eyes…even if personal enmity is involved, officials must show restraint and be polite”.
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It was reported in 2018 that, Hossein Ferasat, the governor of Golpayegan city in central Iran, was sacked on Wednesday after insulting and threatening a journalist.
Golpayegan is a city in Isfahan province.
“The (local) official was dismissed for his ill behavior towards a journalist in Golpayegan,” said Gholamreza Qa’ediha, an official from Isfahn province.
He added that Mohammad Reza Tavassoli has been appointed as caretaker governor of Golpayegan.
Ferasat had shown violent behavior towards a journalist while visiting a project in Golpayegan on Tuesday.
“If you take a photo of me, I will beat you and kick you out of here,” he had told the journalist.
The governor was captured on a video which went viral in a matter of hours.
Mohsen Mehralizadeh, the governor of Isfahan province, extended an official apology to the journalist last night and vowed to sack the local governor.
