Iranian Journalist Masoud Bastani's life is in great danger !

Based on the recent reports Masoud Bastani the Iranian journalist who is spending six years prison sentence in Rejaei Shahr prison, is suffering from severe headachs and sometime he loses feeling of his body and several time he was transfered to the prison clinic. According to the doctors who have examined him , he must be imediately transfered to the hospital for a series of test and C.T. scan and treatment.This situation made Iranian journalists and his family members worried. Masoud Bastani have been in prison since july of 2009 after the presidential election coup. He was charged with " propagating against the regime" and "conspiracy to commit anti regime activities " . Based on this charges ,Masoud was sentenced to six years imprisonment and currently together with many Iranian journalists ( Nearly 40 )spending time in prison.

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://www.rahesabz.net/story/47271/

Journalist was arrested for reporting on explosion!

Iranian journalist Hassan Fathi is arrested for speaking with BBC Farsi news about explosion!

On last Saturday in one of Sepah's ammunition barack in suburb of Tehran ( Alborz region) huge explosion occured which shook the residents in villages around and as well Tehran the capital of Iran.As a result of explosion and as reported 17 member of Sepah ( Revolutionary Guards )lost their life and one of those killed was a commander- major general Hassan Moghadam and many are also believed wounded.Mr. Hassan Fathi was invited from Iran by BBC Farsi to attened in pannel discussion via phone about the explosion.According to Fars News agency Mr. Fathi was arrested after speaking with BBC Farsi. Mr. Fathi is arrested on charges of "Publicity of lies to disturb the peace and public order ".

Link To this news:

http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2011/11/131254.php

Islamic Republic Authorities speak against corruption but arrest and detaine independent journalists!

Saham News has reported that,Mehran Faraji journalist is sentenced to six months jail and six months suspended sentence.

Branch number 36 of appeal court sentenced Mehran Faraji the reporter of Sharq Newspaper on social issues to six months jail and six months suspended sentence. Faraji is charged with publicity against the Islamic Republic system .

According to Saham News, while visiting his family in the city of Qazvin on December 9,2010 , Faraji was arrested by agents of the Ministry of information and was transfered to ward number 209 of the Evin prison.After spending 2 months imprisonment he was released on a 100 milion Tuman bail.

Mr. Mehran Faraji has worked for "Etemad Melli" newspaper, ISNA , ILNA and " Kargozaran " newspaper.

While speaking against the corruption and ....in the Islamic Republic , the officials time to time arrest and detain independent journalists.

14 imprisoned Iranian Journalist in a statement for their safety & improvement on their conditions & release of Mr. Musavi and Mr. Karoubi

According to report on Iranian websites and blogsphere, 14 Iranian imprisoned journalists from Evin and Rejaei-Shahr prisons on "Rooze Khabarnegar" ( news-journalists Day in Iran- August 8) in a statement demanded for the release of Musavi and Karoubi and their wives from house arrests. Musavi and karoubi are the two presidential candidates who have protested the election cheating and bocome the leaders of the green movement in Iran. These 14 journalists who are also in prison descibed their situation as " Na-amn " ( Not safe) and demanded for civil rights and above all the freedom of expression - freedom of all journalists and their return to their profession.

They also condemned regime security and despotic behaviour towards journalists and media.

At present there are 40 Iranian journalists are in prison, Their association was forced to a closure, many journalists have been banned to work on their profession for years and so many felt unsafe to stay in Iran and left the country and are living in exile.

Link:

http://www.khodnevis.org/

Iranian journalists - Cartoon by Iranian cartoonist -Nikahang Kowsar

IRAN WATCH CANADA:Reports from Iran indicate many Iranian journalists are still in prison. It is hard to verify exactly how man Iranian journalists are in prison currently and it is because the regime always play games, releases one at one time and arrests others same day,or rearrest the same journalist again a few days later. This is the way the "just-ice" system works in Iran.
read more: http://www.cpj.org/mideast/iran/ http://www.cpj.org/2010/12/iran-arrests-four-journalists-dozens-deteriorating.php http://www.cjfe.org/
http://www.ifex.org/

The anti-Iranian and anti-Iran internal secret circle inside the Islamic regime,once again has started major attack on Iranian journalists and .....

The anti-Iranian and Anti -Iran "internal secret circle" inside the Islamic regime particularly in "Sepah" and Ministry of information" in Iran has once again started their attack on Iranian journalists and independent newspapers.

It seems these "secret circle" has internal and external body. The external body are almost known to most of the Iranian and they are:

Hossein Shariatmadari the head of Keihan Newspaper, Rohulah Hoseinian an MP from Tehran, ahmadinejad, Janati the head of Guardian Council , Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi the member of Assembly of Experts, Taeb once the head of the Basij melitia, Jafari -Dolatabadi the current prosecutor and the list goes.

Here is one of the report:

File picture dated November 27, 1999 shows prominent Iranian reformist journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin talking to reporters outside Tehran's press court. Shamsolvaezin, who heads the Journalists' Association of Iran and was the editor of several reformist dailies closed in a crackdown on the press between 1998 and 2000, was sentenced to 16 months in jail on charges of insulting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and undermining the Islamic regime, he told."

In another report:

Mr. Mehran Faraji is a journalists who writes on social issues> He was arrested on Saturday by security agents of the secret circles. In the past he has worked for Hamshahri ,Etemade Melli and Kargozaran newspapers.

During last week , Reihaneh Tabatabaei journalist from Sharq newspaper, Keivan Mehregan , Ahmad Gholami, Ms. Farzane Roustaei and Mr. Ali khodabakhsh the chief editor of the political and international section of the newspaper were arrested, including Mr. Hadi Anvari who was writing on economic section of the newspaper.

Alert : Nazanin Khosrevani the Iranian journalist is arrested and there are no news on her whereabout!

Last night regime's security agents attended in Nazanin Khosrevani 's home and arrested her . After searching the house , the agents confiscated her computer and personal belonging and brought her to an unknown location. In the past Nazanin Khosrevani has worked for several reformists newspapersincluding: Nourouz,Bahar, Sarmayeh, Dorane Emrooz, Kargozaran and.....All these newspapers were banned by judge Saeed Mortazavi.Her family members have no news on her whereabout and are worried . It is for a while that, she did not work for any newspapers.

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2010/11/112899.php

RSF (Reporters San Frontier ) Reporters without Borders protest in front of Islamic Republic regime embassy in Paris for Freedom of Journalists and ..

Release our detained colleagues immediately !

"Dreams" a cartoon by : Mana Niestani

Parleman News" : More than 100 journalists and a group of lawyers demanded from the head of the judiciary power :Release our detained colleagues immediately .

At present these journalists are in prison for months :

1-Masoud Bastani

2-Emad Baghi

3-Emad Behavar

4-Alireza Beheshti Shirazi

5-Mohammad Javadi Hesar

6-Mohammad Davari

7-Ahmad Zeidabadi

8- Eisa Saharkheiz

9-Hengameh Shaheidi

10-Abolfazl Abedini

11-Masoud Lavasani

12-Javad Mahzadeh

13-Mehdi Mahmoudian

14-Yaser Masoumi

15-Badrosadat Mofidi

16-Ali Malihi

17-Ehsan Mehrabi

18-Shiva Nazarahari

19-Hosein Nouraninejad

20-Mohammad Nourizad

Alert - Iran
10 March 2010
With 52 journalists in jail, Iran hits new, shameful record

SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ/IFEX) - 9 March 2010 -

The number of journalists in jail rose in February as a relentless media crackdown continues in Iran. Authorities are now holding at least 52 journalists in prison, a third of all those in jail around the world, according to the latest monthly survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Iran is entering a state of permanent media repression, a situation that is not only appalling but also untenable," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "The Iranian government will eventually lose the war against information, but we are saddened every day that our colleagues are paying such a terrible price." Twelve journalists were imprisoned in February alone, although seven were released. The January census recorded 47 in jail. CPJ has joined forces with leading press freedom organizations from around the world in a campaign to win the release of journalists jailed in Iran. An online petition that will be sent to Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei later this month is available on the site. In light of the Iranian government's ongoing crackdown, CPJ has been conducting a monthly survey of journalists imprisoned in Iran. (CPJ normally conducts a worldwide survey of jailed journalists each December.) The survey, conducted on the first of each month, is a snapshot of those incarcerated on that date. It does not include more than 50 other journalists in Iran who have been imprisoned and released on bail over the last several months. Five of those now in jail were detained prior to the 2009 crackdown. The current detainees include internationally known figures such as Emadeddin Baghi, the author and human rights defender, Mohammad Davari, an editor who helped expose prisoner abuse at the Kahrizak Detention Center, and Shiva Nazar Ahari, a human rights reporter who has been jailed twice in the last nine months and is being held in solitary confinement. In most cases, authorities have filed vague antistate charges such as "propagation against the regime," insulting authorities, and disrupting public order. But many cases are shrouded in secrecy, without even formal charges being disclosed. Some detainees have already been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, lashes, internal exile, and lifetime bans on writing and other social and political activities. The cases of many others are pending. At least two face heresy charges that, upon conviction, would bring the death penalty. Currently, China is the world's second largest jailer of journalists, with 24 in prison, followed by Cuba, with 22. The number of jailed journalists is the highest CPJ has recorded in a single country since December 1996, when it documented 78 imprisonments in Turkey.
For more information:Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Ave., 11th FloorNew York, NY 10001USA
info (@) cpj.org
Phone: +1 212 465 1004
Fax: +1 212 465 9568
Committee to Protect Journalistshttp://www.cpj.org

Help release Iranian journalists from the Islamic Republic dungeon!

Herana News Agency in its report about some of the journalist arrested during and after the presidential election on June 12. Here are the names of some of the journalists:

1-Badrolsadat Mofidi - She is the secretary of the Association of Journalists in Iran.She was arrested together with her husband Mr. Masoud aghaei in their home just after the holy days of Ashura and were transfered to Ward number 209 in Evin prison.She sufferes from blood disorder and the prison officials prevent her to receive medication.

2-Mohammad Nourbakhsh-the editor of "Farhikhtegan" newspaper . he has been in Evin prison for more than seven months.there are not enough news about him.

3-Ahmad jalaei Farahani- Editor of the social desk in "Mehr" news agency .One day after layoff from newspaper on Feb.6, he was arrested by some people who identified themselves as security forces of the judiciary power.He is believed to be in Evin prison and according to his parents , his young daughter is sobbing and looking for father.

4-Keivan Samimi - Manager in charge of the banned "Nameh " publication and member of the central council of "Association Defending Freedom of Press" . He was arrested on June 16 ,2009.
For a a leave of prison to attened in his daughters wedding the court asked for 100 million Tuman (Almost $100000). He has been sentenced to 6 years imprisonment and banned from social activities for life.

5-Bahman Ahmadi-Amouei- Journalist of reformist newspapers.He worked as economic correspondent.he was arrested on the evening of June 20 together with his wife Jila Bani-Yaghoub.court didn't agree to release him on bail.He was sentenced to 7 years and four months imprisonment and 34 lashes.

6-Hassan Zahouri- journalist, senior reporter on cultural herritage. he was arrested at his home on Feb.7.

7-Sasan Aghaei- journalist , he was arrested on Nov. 22 after the release of an open letter by 293 journalists to religious leaders. His case is still open and no decision is made on his case file yet.
8-Said Leilaz - Former editor in chief of "Sarmayeh" newspaper. He has been in prison for the past eight months.He is economic critics. He has been kept in security ward in Evin prison.

9-Maziar samiei- Journalist , he was arrested in the mid night of Feb.3 by ther security forces and there are no news about his whereabout.Since his arrest, he was able to make a call to his parents only once and since Feb. 5 there is no news about him.

10-Ali Hekmat -Editor in chief of reformist "Khordad" newspaper .He has been in prison for more than four months.He was able to talk to his parents for the first time after 98 days.

11-Masoud Bastani-On the morning of June 25 left his home to attend Tehran court of revolution to follow the situation of his wife Mahsa Amrabadi who was detained and he himself was arrested too. after three and a half months time prison , he was sentenced to six years imprisonment.This journalist was transfered to "Rejaei Shahr' prison which is one of the worst prison .

12-Emadodin Baghi -Journalist and human rights advocate. He is the founder of the "committee defending the rights of prisoners". He was arrested on Dec. 28 and in a contact with his family he said : he is arrested in connection with the interview he made with Ayatollah Montazeri.

13- Wahid pourostad_ Journalist of "Farhikhtegan" newspaper .He was arrested on Feb. 8 at 2:30 in the morning in his mother inlaw's home.His name is not in the lists of journalist arrested and this made his family to worry more.

14-Reza Tajik- Journalist and activist , he was arrested on Dec. 29 in front of "Etemad" newspaper.He was also arrested once after the presidential election in June and spent 46 days in prison.

15-Behrang Tonekaboni & Leili Farhadpour - Editor in chief of music magazine known as " Farhang O Ahang" .He is the son of journalist Leili Farhadpour.He was arrested at his workplace on Jan. 5 . While his mom Leili Farhadpour was following his case, had heart attack and was admitted in hospital , but after release from hospital , she was arrested at her home by the agents of Ministry of information.

16-Niloufar Laripour- Poet , song writer and reporter of "Chelcheragh" publication. Was arrested on Feb. 2nd.

17- Roozbeh Karimi- journalist and student of higher education on Human rights.He was arrested together with his wife Forough Mirezaei on Jan. 2nd. at his home.

18-Zeynab Kazemkhah - Journalist of a government media . She was arrested on Feb. 7 at her home by 9 agents from the Ministry of Information .

19-Noushin Jafari- The 22 years old journalist and writer of "Art & Literary" in Etemad newspaper.she was arrested on Feb. 4 at her home.

20-Mohammad Davari- editor in chief of "Saham " news ( Official website of Etemad newspaper ).was arrested on Sep. 8. Regime requested a 200 million Tuman bail for his release , but he was unable to pay.for the last 5 months he has been in prison. He is the one who prepared video report from those prisoners who were sexually raped.

21-Said Matinpour-An Azarbayejan journalist who suffers from heat problems.He is currently in Evin prison and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

22-Said Masoud Lavasani - journalist and blogger and he was arrested four months ago from his home.He was sentenced to eight and a half years prison term and is banned to see his two years old son.

23-Ahmad Zeidabadi-journalist and political analyst , he was arrested on June 13.he was sentenced to 5 years prison term and exile to the remote area of "Gonabad". he was transfered from evin prison to the "Rejaei Shahr" prison.

24-Eisa Saharkheiz- A journalist and one of the founder of association Defending Freedom of Press.A well known journalist and political personality.he was arrested on July 2nd.

25-Mashaollah shamsolvaezin- Journalist and spokesperson of the Association of Journalists in Iran . He was arrested on Dec. 29 at his home without a warrant.

26-Amir Sadeghi-A photojournalist who was arrested in "Farhange Ashti "newspaper's office .he was arrested on Feb. 7 and charged with publishing pictures from protest of the Holy Days of Ashura.

27-Fouad Sadeghi - Founder of "Baztab and Ayandeh news " website. he was arrested on Feb. 10 by security agents.

28-Ehsan Mehrabi- Parliamentary reporter of "Farhikhtegan' newspaper.He was arrested on Feb. 11 . His family are worried on his whereabout.

29-Akbar montajebi- journalist of Sharq, Hammihan, Hamshahri newspaper and Shahrvandemrouz magazine. he was arrested after Feb. 11 and there is no news about him.

30-Hamzeh Karami-He is in Evin prison from the past 8 months. He has been sentenced to 16 years prison term and 6 billion Tuman cash money. Karami is in a very bad shape after hearing this sentencing.

31-Alireza firouzi-young blogger and journalist from Tabriz ,since Jan. 2nd he was kidnapped by security agents.No one knows about his whereabout.

Translated by IRAN WATCH CANADA - Be loyal to IRAN WATCH CANADA when using this translation.

The number of Journalists arrested in Iran has reached to 56 person !

Feb.9/2010-
The website of "Kalameh" the site of Mir Hossain Musavi: With the arrest of Vahid Pourostad ,the number of journalist arrested reach to 56

Feb. 8/2010-
The number of journalists arrested in Iran has reached to 55 and the latest journalist arrested in Hassan Zahouri the technical reporter of cultural heritage . This journalist sufferes from heart problem and his family members are worried about his health condition in the prison. In the last two days except Hassan zahouri , Ahmad jalali Farahani, Ehsan Mehrabi, Mahsa Jazini, Akbar Montajebi, somayeh momeni, Zeynab Kazemkhah and Ali Kalaei all journalist were arrested.



yesterday Mr. amir Sadeghi photojournalist was arrested in his workplace.according to the website of "Jaras", the security forces attended in Mr. Sadeghi's workplace , the "Farhang Ashti"


newspaper and arrested him. Mr. amir Sadeghi was charged with taking photo's from the protest day of "Ashura " .



Link:
http://www.kaleme.org/1388/11/19/klm-10957

At least 16 well known journalists and web- writers are still in prisons in Iran!

Without hope to be released and without American passport.

This is when Ahmadinejad's Government at first arrests Roxana Saberi an Iranian-American journalist on the charges of espionage ( which is quiet a serious charges and if proven is punishable by death) and then releases at time of presidential election unexpectedly , while many Iranian journalists allegedly charged with less offences or no offences at all are still in prison.Why Ahmadinejad's Government do nothing to release these Iranian journalists and bloggers. Ahmadinejad's politics is dirty and intolerable by majority of Iranian.Ahmadinejad is doing everything to become re-elected as president.By releasing Roxana which is a good news for journalist communities , Ahmadinejad is taking the opportunity to show "humanist gesture ", but there are many Iranian journalists and bloggers who are behind the bars without any charges, just because they were critical to Ahmadinejad's government.While Roxana had the international support , these imprisoned journalist have very little support .
This is a clear discrimination against political prisoners.Unfortunately , there are journalists and bloggers who are not living in big cities and it would be more difficult to monitor their situation.

The following journalists and web-writers are still in prison:

1-Mohammad Sadigh Kabudvand- Managing editor of weekly " Payame Mardome Kordestan" ( Kurdish People's Message), regime has ordered for this weekly's closure. Mr. Kabudvand is also an international award winner and he is the president and founder of "Kurdistan Human Rights Organization ". Mr. Kabudvand is in Evin prison since june of 2007.

2-Mohammad Hossain Falahieh -Managing editor of closed Aghlamotalabeh newspaper and expelled reporter of Alalam Television. He is the longest serving prisoner in Iran. Currently he is in Evin prison since 2006.

3- Masoud Kordpoor - Journalist and teacher of kurdistan Ministry of Education.Currently he is in "Orumieh" prison since August of 2008.He was arrested by the Ministry of Information agents in the city of Bukan.

4- Nader Karami Juni - Editor and Journalist of publication such as" Jahane Sanat, Siasat Rooz, Gozaresh , Fekr " he is arrested since December 2008.

5- Kaveh Javanmardi- Journalist of weekly " Kerefto" . He is in prison since December 2006. He is sentenced to two years imprisonment and was forced to internal exile to the city of "Maragheh".

6- Adnan Hassanpoor - 25 years old Kurdish journalist is in prison since February 2006.Currently in Marivan city prison.

7- Heyva Butimar - 29 years old Kurdish journalist is in prison since February 2006.Currently he is in Sanandaj city prison.He is charged with espionage and is sentenced to death.

8- Bahman Totonchi- Journalist and member of editorial council of the banned weekly Kurdish language "Kerefto". He was arrested by the security agents of the Islamic Republic in his home. He is also member and founder of " Association of Kurdish Writers". He is currently in Sanandaj city prison.

9- Mojtaba Lotfi - A clergy Blogger was arrested on early October 2008 by the order of judge Salimi. The security agents searched his home and took away with them all his writing , his computer and discs. He is sentenced to four years imprisonment.He is a close relative of Ayatollah Montazeri. He was editorial member of the banned "Khordad" and "Fath " newspaper and member of editorial council of banned weekly " Ava" and " Naghshineh".

10- On May Day rally in Iran many workers , students and civil rights activists have been arrested and were transferred to Evin prison,among them several journalist and bloggers and since then are in prison .
Those arrested are :

Masoud Loghman, Alireza Saghafi, Alireza Firuzi , Amir Yaqubali, Nikzad Zanganeh , Kaveh Mozafari and Jelveh Javaheri are the blogger and journalist arrested.

11- Mr. Sajad Khaksari who was preparing report during teachers protest in May , 2009 was also arrested and is in prison.

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://khordaad.com/sNews.aspx?Id=1287
http://www.khordaad.com/SNews.aspx?Id=117
http://www.khordaad.com/sNews.aspx?Id=1207

Roxana Saberi: I was under alot of pressure to confess that i'm an American spy !
Roxana Saberi in speaking with Farsi news network of the "Voice of America" said:
"The interrogators told me , for not confessing, you may spend 20 years in prison and even you might be executed."
Ms. Saberi said:"At that time i was very frightened."
Saberi 32 years old journalist, after spending four months imprisonment in Iran, last week returned to America.
Saberi also said: "My decision to go on hunger strike, after hearing i was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, was correct."
She said : "My imprisonment was unjust , because i didn't want to confess and was telling the truth."
She said: The announcement by the officials that i wasn't on hunger strike was meaningless, because for feeding, they connected me to serum.She said ; she doesn't know the real reason for her freedom and thanked all those who helped her to gain freedom.

Link to this news:
http://www.voanews.com/persian/2009-05-29-voa14.cfm

US Journalist Freed From Iran Meets With Clinton

Roxana Saberi arrived in Washington airport on last Friday and was welcomed and greeted by many friends ,colleagues and relatives!

Picture shows jila Baniyaghoob with handcuff sorounded by women and men security and police forces of the Islamic Republic.

Jila Baniyaghoob, freelance reporter and editor-in-chief of the website Kanoon Zanan Irani (Focus on Iranian Women), won the International courage award in journalism.

IRAN WATCH CANADA congratulate Jila for her courage and receiving this international award.

Link to this report:

http://www.iwmf.org/

Courage in Journalism Awards

After four months in Evin prison, Roxana Saberi the Iranian- American journalist was released on Monday May 11 and left Iran on Friday May 15 for Vienna -Austria together with her mom and dad. Roxana 32 grew up in North Dakota-USA and on 1997 received the title of Miss Dakota. In the past she lived six years in Iran.

She told reporters that, she choose to go to vienna for a few days rest and will speak on her ordeal later on.

"Earlier Monday, Saberi's father, said he would make plans to return home with his daughter in the next few days. Saberi parents live in Fargo, North Dakota and had traveled to Iran to seek her release." (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1084715.html)

Watch this video clip from AP:

http://www.gooya.us/videos/2009/05/roxana-saberi-in-austria.php

1-US-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi smiles as she arrives at the airport in Schwechat, Austria, on Friday, May 15, 2009. Saberi, the American journalist accused of spying on Iran, has arrived in Austria after her release from an Iranian jail.

2-Iranian movie director Bahman Ghobadi (C) waits for the release of imprisoned Iranian-American reporter Roxana Saberi outside Tehran's Evin prison on May 11, 2009. Ghobadi, in Cannes with an underground movie from Tehran, says the country's tight censorship and restrictions mean he "may not go back".

3-Iranian-American reporter Roxana Saberi smiles as she arrives with her father Reza to brief the press outside their home in Tehran on May 12, 2009. A lawyer for US-born reporter Roxana Saberi, freed this week from a Tehran jail, said on Wednesday the spy charges she had faced arose after she obtained a classified report on the US war on Iraq.

4-A frame grab shows U.S.-born journalist Roxana Saberi (R) being embraced by her mother Akiko Saberi after being released from Tehran's Evin prison May 11, 2009. REUTERS/via Reuters.

Yahoo news photos- Roxana Saberi

Roxana Saberi the Iranian-American journalist will be released today!

According to news , an appeal court in Tehran on Sunday reduced the 8 years imprisonment sentence of Roxana Saberi to two years pending sentence . It took five hours the court to make new decision , said Mr. Saleh Nikbakht one of Roxana's lawyer. Mr. Nikbakht said ; Roxana was optimistic with Sundays court proceeding.

Link to this news:

http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2009/05/087412.php