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condolences for Montazeri, except those coming from the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, must not be published on front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.
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