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Editorial
Illogical and Unethical Scientific Sanctions Against Iranian Authors
Mehran Zarghami MD•*
“The ones … who listen to the statement and follow the best in it, will have good news: proclaim such to My
servants. Those are the ones whom God has guided; those are prudent persons.”
(The Holly Quran)(1)
Restriction of free submission of Iranian manuscripts is not a new matter. However, the recent political
decision of the USA Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury saying who can and
who cannot publish scientific papers in journals is completely against free distribution of data in scholarly and
scientific communities and scientific journals and publications which requires discussions and challenges with
the statutory authorities. Publishers’ mission requires bringing suit against this illogical and unethical decision.
Science should not be involved in the political game of sanctions. Policies of governments and the origins of the
manuscript, including the race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and political belief of the authors should not affect
the editorial decisions of scientific publications.
Declaration of interest: None.
Citation: Zarghami M. Illogical and unethical scientific sanctions against Iranian authors. Iran J Psychiatry
Behav Sci 2013; 7(2): 1-4.
“W e are •••• sorry for the delay in nuclear bombs, terrorism, chemical weapons,
getting back to you with a etc...
decision about your Restriction of free dissemination of
submitted manuscript. information and submission of Iranian
Because you and your authors are from an manuscripts is not a new matter. This problem
Iranian government-supported institution, we arises from USA federal rules in 2004 that
cannot consider your manuscript for undermine a codified policy order “to protect
publication in the Journal of Clinical the constitutional rights of Americans to
Psychopharmacology. This policy is a United educate themselves about the world by
States policy that is now in effect, and communicating with peoples of other
therefore, we are required to withdraw your countries in a variety of ways, such as by
paper from consideration.” This is what sharing information and ideas with persons
Barbara Kern, the Managing Editor of the around the world, traveling abroad, and
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, engaging in educational, cultural, and other
Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, exchanges with persons from around the
said in response to an Iranian resident of world” (2). As mentioned by Eliot Marshal,
psychiatry who had submitted her manuscript ScienceInsider writer, it has put in place much
about treatment of schizophrenia, not about harsher restrictions on communications from
Iran since a decade ago (3). Publishers brought
suit against the USA government at that time
Authors’ affiliation: * Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and succeed in their effort (4). The regulations
Research Center AND Department of Psychiatry, School of
changed; preserved the “informational
Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran,
Sari, Iran. materials” as exception and made a general
• Corresponding author: Mehran Zarghami MD, Professor,
certification for publishing activities,
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center AND
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Mazandaran particularly peer reviewed, author, and
University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran, Sari, Iran.
Tel: +98 151-32 85569 editorial activities in 2007 (2). However, over
Fax:+98 151-32 85109 recent years, the United Nations, the
Email: [email protected]
www.ijpbs.mazums.ac.ir Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci, Volume 7, Number 2, Autumn / Winter 2013 1
Sanctions Against Iranian Authors
European Union, and recently the United game. “The focus of our sanctions is the Iranian
States of America have proposed more and regime and its support for terrorism and its
more limiting trade sanction regulations in illicit nuclear programme. Our sanctions do not
relation to Iran, and some of these restrictions target academic or informational materials”
impact publications (2). For Saied John Sullivan of the US
example, the Elsevier Treasury stated to the British
Company had applied "more • An important matter is the Medical Journal (BMJ) (5). As
specific sanctions … over the “lability phobia” of the scientific mentioned by an Iranian
past year or two" as a result of journals editors that has enforced author in an open letter, “at a
UN advises (3). extra sanctions beyond the OFAC time when several countries,
Regarding the “fast- sanctions for Iranian academic even the USA, despite
rejection” by the Journal of authors. important differences of
Clinical Psychopharmacology opinion are trying to reduce
we inquired about this policy tensions with Iran (e.g.
from another American journal. According to withdrawal of sanctions on items such as
their response in an e-mail it seems that they computer software and hardware, mobile
are obliged to reject the papers written by phones, food, and medicine), discriminatory
authors affiliated to the government of Iran. action against scientific publishing is difficult to
They claim that these sanctions aimed to understand” (6).
persuade the Iranian government to give up An important matter is the “lability
“nuclear technology”, and are a broadened phobia” of the scientific journal editors who
decision from previous rules issued by the have enforced extra sanctions beyond the
enforcement agency, the USA Office of OFAC sanctions for Iranian academic
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the authors. For example, Elsevier has noted the
Department of the Treasury (3). Under this new restrictions are limited to editors who are
policy reflecting the USA Congress law even USA nationals, have an exception for Iranian
companies not based in the United States universities and health-care institutions, and
must prevent their American personnel from are expected to affect a small number of
interacting with these authors (3). Moreover, papers (such as research departments of
the American Journal of Cardiology and the nuclear facilities and various oil and gas
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology companies which are deemed to be entities of
(JACI), which are published by Elsevier, the the Government of Iran). However, this
Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and publisher believes that it is necessary to make
Therapeutics (published in the US by Marie “narrowly crafted exceptions” since there is a
Ann Liebert), and the Australian journal potential risk of personal “liability” on the
Ophthalmic Epidemiology (owned by part of its USA editors (2, 3). Jeanette Pearce,
Informa Healthcare in the Dove’s New Zealand based
UK), Dove Medical Press (an operations manager said:
open access online publisher “We do not make this
whose headquarters are in the • The World Association of decision lightly and have
Medical Editors (WAME):
UK and editorial office is in consulted with the authorities
"Editorial decisions should not be
New Zealand) have adopted a both here in New Zealand
affected by the origins of the
similar strategy (5). and in the United Kingdom
manuscript, including the
Despite the illogical and before making our
nationality, ethnicity, political
unethical political decision of beliefs, race, or religion of the decision”(5). The editor of the
OFAC, we assume authors authors. Decisions to edit and Journal of Allergy and
affiliated with academic and publish should not be determined Clinical Immunology (JACI)
research institutes and by the policies of governments or explained in an e-mail that:
manuscripts originating from other agencies outside of the “Our publisher precludes
hospital and clinical settings journal itself." taking any articles from
are not involved in this political authors based at Iranian
2 Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci, Volume 7, Number 2, Autumn / Winter 2013 www.ijpbs.mazums.ac.ir
Zarghami M
institutions or hospitals.”(5). “Our recent Several other scientific organizations said that
communications with editors were motivated OFAC tangled with scientific journals; they
out of concern that U.S. citizens acting as did not see a need to alter the way they
editors of our journals might also be subject manage manuscripts at present (3). “I certainly
to personal liability” said Eliot Marshal, do not condone what Iran or its government
ScienceIncider writer (3). says or does (or for that matter any country
In practice, as almost all of the Iranian that has less than positive relations with the
universities of medical sciences, and US). “Please leave this kind of politics out of
academic and research science” said the Journal of
institutes are run with Pharmacological and
governmental budget, their Toxicological Methods on
• Despite the illogical and
submission should be rejected behalf of … (deleted by them
unethical political decision of
outright. On the other hand, to avoid abuse) (7). In this
OFAC, we assume authors
the new law specifies that the regard, political scientists
affiliated with academic and
sanctions do not apply to any research institutes, and believe that the impact of
academic and research manuscripts originating from sanctions on their stated
institutions, or their staff or hospital and clinical settings are objectives is very low (8).
informational materials, and not involved in this political game. I believe that free
the USA, OFAC, has used dissemination of information
new regulations to target in scholarly and scientific
certain Iranian nationals, including Iranian communities, and scientific journals and
government employees (but not Iranian publications requires discussions with the
universities) that are supposed to be statutory authorities regarding revisions of
contracted in or assisting the development of regulations. The Iranian Journal of Psychiatry
weapons technologies or supporting the and Behavioral Sciences endorses the
government-owned energy industry. following recommended clause of The
However, it seems that fear of personal Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE),
penalty has made scientific journal editors which is drawn from the text developed by
more conservative (2, 5). Although the World Association of Medical Editors
Elsevier Company states that free flow of (WAME). This clause is that:
ideas and information is a principle for “Editorial decisions should not be affected
science and for society, the statements of by the origins of the manuscript, including the
Mark Seeley the chief lawyer, regarding the nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or
misunderstanding of some US editors on the religion of the authors. Decisions to edit and
publisher’s instructions, confirms the “lability publish should not be determined by the
phobia” and conservativeness. “The problem policies of governments or other agencies
is over and the exact definition of outside of the journal itself.” (9).
‘government employees’ other than
academics and practitioners is not clear”: References
Seeley said (5). Furthermore, he stated that the
1. Irving TB (Al-Hajj Ta'lim Ali). The Holy
Elsevier Company will try to dispel this
Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary.
ambiguity, but has not done so yet (5).
Tehran, Iran: Suhrawardi Research and
On the other hand, some other American
Publication Center; 2003. p. 30.
and British journals, including the Journal of
2. Seeley M. Trade sanctions against Iran
American Medical Association (JAMA), the
affect publishers [Online] 2013. Available
New England Journal of Medicine, and the
from: URL:
British Medical Journal (BMJ) continue to
http://elsevierconnect.com/trade-
publish Iranian submissions (5). The Lancet sanctions- against- iran-affect-publishers
(which is published by Elsevier) is currently
3. Marshal E. Scientific journals adapt to new
working to strengthen its links with Iranian
U.S. trade sanctions on Iran [Online] 2013.
medical and public health scientists (5). [cited 2013 May 5]; Available from: URL:
www.ijpbs.mazums.ac.ir Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci, Volume 7, Number 2, Autumn / Winter 2013 3
Sanctions Against Iranian Authors
http://esciencenews.com/sources/science.n 7. Ekins S. Politics, science and publishing.
ow/2013/05/03/scientific.journals.adapt.ne collaborative chemistry [Online] 2013.
w.u.s.trade.sanctions.iran. [cited 2013 Jun 3]; Available from: URL:
4. Adler A, Brodsky M. RE: OFAC's http://www.collabchem.com/2013/06/03/p
Interpretation of IEEPA's "Informational olitics-science-and-publishing/.
Materials" Exemption. Association of 8. Cheraghali AM. Impacts of international
American Publishers, Inc. [cited 2004 Jan sanctions on Iranian pharmaceutical
23]. Available from: URL: market. Daru 2013; 21(1): 64.
http://www.pspcentral.org/commPublicAf 9. The Committee on Publication Ethics
fairs/attachPubAff-PubIss/. (COPE). Clarification of COPE advice to
5. Arie S. Unintended consequences of editors on geopolitical intrusions on editorial
sanctions against Iran. BMJ 2013; 347: decisions [Online] 2013. [cited 2013 Aug 1];
f4650. Available from: URL:
6. Zahediasl S. Iran and science publishing: an http://publicationethics.org/newsopinio.
open letter. Lancet 2013; 382(9892): 596.
4 Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci, Volume 7, Number 2, Autumn / Winter 2013 www.ijpbs.mazums.ac.ir
