In Iran, restrictive media landscape further deteriorates

          
          In Iran, restrictive n'cdla landscape thrther deteriorates - Committee to Pr,,. lttp://cpj .org/2009/12/in-iran-resticfive-n'edla-lardscape-Thrtl'cr-deteri.php
          C Committee to ProtectJournalists
          Defending Journal is: s Worldwide
          In Iran, restrictive media landscape further deteriorates
          New York, December 23, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that Iranian authorities censored
          coverage of the death of a leading reformist cleric, shut down yet another reformist newspaper this week, and continue
          to arrest journalists.
          The BBC reported (http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/1 2/091221 wmt-papers-ershad.shtml) on Monday that the
          Iranian Labor News Agency was warned by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to report less on opposition
          groups in general and Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters in particular. The BBC also said that the same ministry
          dispatched representatives to several newspapers, forbidding them to publish on their front pages photographs of the
          recently deceased Grand Ayatollah Hossein Au Montazeri. Montazeri, an influential cleric who at one time was
          designated to become Supreme Leader and died on Saturday, was hailed by the opposition after he criticized the
          conduct of the election and the post-election turmoil. The newspapers were also instructed that all messages of
          condolences for Montazeri, except those coming from the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, must not be published on front
          pages.
          On Monday, the Press Supervisory Board shut down the reformist daily newspaper Andisheh No, according to local
          ( http://www.radiofarda.com/content/Fll Iran Postelection Newspaper Andisheh No shut down ILNA/1909960.html )
          and international (http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/1 2/091221 wmt-papers-ershad.shtml) news reports. The
          Iranian Student News Agency reported (http://isna.ir/Isna/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1 461 685&Lanq=P) that the closure
          was due to numerous violations, including “questioning general policies of the Islamic Republic” and “a constant effort to
          deepen differences among people after the presidential election.” According to the same report, Andisheli No was
          among five newspapers that received a warning from authorities for “insufficient coverage” on pro-government rallies
          Friday across Iran.
          CPJ reported in its annual prison census (http://www.cpj.org/reports/2009/1 2/freelance-journalists-in-prison-cpj-2009-
          census.php) on December 1 that 23 journalists were imprisoned in Iran. More have been arrested since. On Sunday,
          international (http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/1 2/091220 na nourizad detained.shtml) media reported
          ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/1 2/091220 na nourizad detained.shtml) that journalist, blogger, and
          documentary filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad had been arrested a few days earlier. Nourizad wrote for Kayhan, a daily
          newspaper directly under the supervision of the Office of the Supreme Leader, but distanced himself from it after the
          June presidential elections and instead wrote articles criticizing the government's policies and practices on his blog. He is
          being charged with “insulting authorities” and “propagation against the regime,” according to the semi-official Mehr News
          ( http:llwww.mehrnews.com/fa/newsdetall.aspx?News!D—1004073) agency. The same report said that he was to be
          released on bail but that he was unable to pay and was sent to prison.
          On December 16, Sedigh Minaee, a Kurdish journalist with Aso Weekly, was tried in Sanandaj on charges of “refusal to
          stand up during the playing of the national anthem,” “propagation against the regime,” and “insulting authorities,”
          according to Mookrian News Agency (http://www.rahesabz.net/favicon.ico) . CPJ was unable to determine when he
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          In Iran, restrictive n'cdla landscape thrther deteriorates - Con'nnittee to Pr,,. lttp://cpj .org/2009/12/in-iran-resticfive-n'edla-landscape-ThrtSr-deteri.php
          was arrested. Minaee has denied all charges. According to the agency, he was tried without the presence of legal
          counsel.
          “The authorities in Tehran seem intent on silencing critical journalists and stifling the media,” said CPJ Middle East and
          North Africa Program Coordinator Mohamed Abdel Dayem. “We call on Tehran to end its persecution of journalists,
          because despite having resorted to harassment, torture, fabrication of charges, and more, the authorities have failed to
          bring independent journalism to its knees.”
          In the six months since the disputed presidential elections, CPJ has documented a number of cases in which authorities
          have shut down (http:llcpj.orgl2009l l O/three-newspapers-shut-down-in-iran.php) newspapers, blocked (http:llcpj.org
          l2009lO6liran-censors-newspapers-amid-unrest.php) Web sites, and arrested (http:llcpi.orgl2009/O6lmore-iournalists-
          arrested-in-iran-cpj-see ks-their.php) journalists . The government has also banned (http:llcp i.orgI2009IO6liran-
          bars-foreign-media-from-reporting-on-protests.php) foreign media from reporting on opposition protesters. More
          recently, the authorities revoked permits for foreign journalists to report on an annual rally due to be held on December
          9. According (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2lhil8397767.stm ) to international news reports the authorities feared the opposition
          would use the rally to stage a new protest.
          Local news reports (http:llwww.rahesabz.netl%7bmy template grouplrss 2.0%7d) said imprisoned journalist Issa
          Sahar-Khiz (http:llwww.cpj.orgl2009lO7liran-is-worlds-top-jailer-of-journalists.php) , who was arrested July 3, offered his
          last defense at a Tehran court on December 16. He is being charged with “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “propagation
          against the regime,” and “mutiny to disrupt national security.” The court has consistently refused to issue a bail order
          even though the investigation into the case has long been completed.
          An attorney for jailed journalists Ahmad Zaid-Abadi (http:llcpj.org/2009109/cpj-urges-iran-to-release-journalists-during-
          ramad.php) and Massoud Bastani (http:l/cpi.orgl2009lO9lcpi-urges-iran-to-release-iournalists-during-ramad.php) ,
          Mohammad Sharif, told (http:llwww.mardomak.biz/news 1s 147567) news Web site Mardomak that Zaid-Abadi remains in
          custody, despite his family posting his $500,000 bail. He added that a release order was issued for Bastani, but that he
          too remains in custody. In an interview ( http:llwww.roozonline.comlpersianlnewslnewsitemlarticlel2009ldecember
          / 15/-2OeObbb7d7.html) with Rooz Online, the wife of imprisoned journalist Bahman Ahmadi Amouee (http://www.cpj.org
          limprisonedl2009.php) ' , Zhila Bani-Yaghoub, said that the court has prevented Amouee's family from posting his bail for
          several months, and later reported, falsely, that his family had refused to post it. After six months of “temporary
          detention,” the court recently issued a formal detention order.
          December 23, 2009 2:47 PM ET I Permalink (http:llcp i.orgl2009l l 2/in-iran-restrictive-media-landscape-further-
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