In Iran, journalist associadon closed down, nore arrested. Committee to http://cpj.org/2009/08/in•iran•journalists-associafion-closed•down•ncre •...
C Committee to ProtectJournalists
Defending Journal is: s Worldwide
In Iran, journalist association closed down, more
arrested
New York, August 6, 2009--Officials shut down the office of the Association of Iranian Journalists in Tehran on
Wednesday night, just after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term, according to international
news reports.
Director Badr al-Sadat Mufidi, told (http:llwww.bbc.co.uk/persianliran/2009/08/090805 wmi-anjoman-senfu.shtml) the
BBC Persian service that agents stormed the office with a warrant from Saeed Mortazavi, Tehran's prosecutor general.
The association had planned to hold a general meeting today, the BBC reported. According to the association's Web
site, it was founded in 1997 and has 3,700 members.
“The closure of the Association of Iranian Journalists is the latest attempt to intimidate and silence critical journalists,”
said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Mohamed Abdel Dayem. “The authorities must put an end
to their war against the media and immediately release all journalists who remain behind bars.”
CPJ has also confirmed the arrests of three more journalists and the release of one.
Plainclothes security agents arrested Mahdi Yazdani Khoram near his office on Wednesday evening, the newspaper
reported (http:Ilwww.etemademelli.irlpublishedlO/00 16316391 1) . Khoram is editor of arts and literature at Etemad e Me/li
a newspaper owned by presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi. Mir-Hameed Hassan-Zadeh, with the Iranian Student
News Agency, was arrested Tuesday, according to Parleman News, a local (http://parlemannews.com/?n=2447) Web
site. Hassan-Zadeh used to be the director of Ghalam News, a site affiliated with reformist candidate Mir-Hossein
Mousavi. Reza Nourbakhsh, editor-in-chief of Farhikhtegan newspaper, was also picked up on Tuesday, according
( hftp:llrooznamenegar.irlnews.php?lng=fa&id=1 224) to the journalist association.
CPJ has confirmed the release of one journalist. Authorities released Sumaia Nusrati, who works for the Tehran-based
Tebran Emrouz, on July 29, according to local (hftp://rooznamenepar.ir/news.php?lna=fa&id=1224) news reports. She
was detained initially on June 21, CPJ research shows (http://cpj.org/2009/O7las-media-arrests-mount-iran-solidifies-
a-dishonor.php) .
Iran remains the world's leading jailer of journalists with at least 38 behind bars.
August 6, 2009 3:48 PM ET I Permalink (http:llcpi.orq/2009/08/in-iran-iournalists-association-closed-down-more-a.php )
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