ALERT - IRAN
3 July 2007
Three more journalists imprisoned; another arrested and released on bail
SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has learned of the arrests of three
more Iranian journalists, one of them on 1 July 2007. They bring the number
of journalists detained in Iran to six.
"The Iranian regime is one of the most repressive in the world towards the
media," the press freedom organisation said. "Independent journalists are
closely watched and constantly harassed. Arrests are frequent, and months
can go by before the place of detention and charges are discovered. With
six journalists detained, Iran continues to be the Middle East's biggest
prison for the press."
Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand, the editor of "Payam-e mardom-e Kurdestan" (a
weekly that was closed down in 2004) was arrested on 1 July by intelligence
ministry agents, who searched his home and seized personal files, his
computer hard disk and CD-ROMs. He was immediately taken to Evin prison.
Kabovand was sentenced on 18 August 2005 to 18 months in prison and a
five-year ban on working as a journalist for "upsetting public opinion and
spreading separatist ideas." The sentence was reduced on appeal to a year
in prison, which he never served. He founded a Kurdistan human rights
organisation last year along with other journalists. Access to its website
( http://www.insaniyet.com ) has been blocked several times.
Said Matinpour of "Yarpagh" (an Azeri-language weekly based in Tehran) has
been detained since 28 May, when he and his wife were arrested at their
home in the northwestern city of Zanjan. He was transferred to Tehran two
days later and is now being held in security section 209 in Evin prison. He
has not been charged and neither his relatives nor his lawyer have been
able to see him.
Mohammad Hassan Fallahieh, a journalist with the Arabic-language service of
the public radio and TV broadcaster Al-Alam, has been detained since last
November. He was tried by a revolutionary tribunal on 29 April on a charge
of spying and was sentenced to three years in prison. He is also now being
held in Evin prison's security section 209. His lawyer says he has many
health problems and needs a thorough medical examination.
The three journalists whose imprisonment was already known are Adnan
Hassanpour of the weekly "Asou", Kaveh Javanmard of the weekly "Karfto" and
Ali Farahbakhsh, a contributor to several business newspapers including
"Sarmayeh".
Hassanpour was arrested on 25 January and is being held in Sanandaj, the
capital of Kurdistan province (see IFEX alerts of 15 March and 30 January
2007). Javanmard was arrested on 18 December and is also being held in
Sanandaj (see alerts of 23 May and 11 January 2007). Farahbakhsh was
arrested on 27 November 2006 and is being held in Evin prison's security
section 209 (see alert of 30 March 2007). Reporters Without Borders has
already voiced deep concern about the state of health of Farahbakhsh, who
has requested release for hospitalisation.
Said Mohamadi, who is the editor in chief of "Al-Alam" as well as being a
writer and poet better known as Moghanlou, was arrested by intelligence
officers at Tehran airport on 22 June on his return from a trip to the
Azerbaijani capital of Baku. He was freed two days later on bail of 100
million toumen (80,000 euros) pending trial on charges which the
authorities have refused to reveal. His passport has been taken and he is
banned from leaving the country.
The High Council for National Security has meanwhile written to the Iranian
news media banning them from publishing articles about disturbances
resulting from the petrol rationing that was introduced on 27 June. Reports
about these developments are nonetheless being posted on blogs and
websites. Several reporters and photographers who went to the scenes of the
disturbances were attacked by members of security forces or by rioters.
For further information contact Hajar Smouni, RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie,
Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: moyen-orient@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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