According to the broadcaster, Iranian employees of Deutsche Welle and their families have been threatened by the regime in Tehran for years.
Since the protests began in Iran, threats against members of the Farsi editorial team have intensified.
Employees and relatives would be interrogated during family visits in Iran, and the employees were also followed in Germany.
The message was "unmistakable," reports Deutsche Welle: "If the critical reporting continues, one cannot guarantee the well-being of the relatives of DW employees who are in Iran."
Michael Hanfeld
responsible editor for feuilleton online and "media".
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At the end of October, the Iranian regime put Deutsche Welle on a terror list.
Agents of the regime have contacted people in Iran who follow a Deutsche Welle employee on his Instagram channel.
They were asked in phone calls or interrogations to unfollow the channel, otherwise this would have consequences for them and their families.
The Deutsche Welle employee is an "enemy of the state" and carries the death penalty.
The broadcaster's broadcasting board has protested against this approach, as has the management of Deutsche Welle on several occasions.
"We strongly condemn this blatant threat and the attempts at intimidation in response to the reporting of the peaceful protests," said the Chairman of the Broadcasting Council, Prelate Karl Jüsten.
The federal chairman of the German Association of Journalists (DJV), Frank Überall, has asked Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to summon the Iranian ambassador.
"The families of journalists are being held hostage for critical reporting," said Überall.
"This is the worst kind of blackmail." The federal government must take action because of the reprisals against the German foreign broadcaster.