Iran arrests two ntre critical Journalists. Connilttee to Protect Journalists http://cpJ .org/20 1O/07/iran-arrests-two-niore-critica l-Journalistsphp
C Committee to ProtectJournalists
Defending Journal is: s Worldwide
Iran arrests two more critical journalists
New York, July 22, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists has learned that Iran is continuing to arrestjournalists, with two
more detained in June. CPJ calls on the authorities to release all imprisoned journalists, and to allow reporters to conduct their work
unimpeded.
Abdolreza Tajik, who writes for reformist newspapers in Iran including Path, Bonyan, Bahar, and Shargh, was arrested
on June 12, according to local news reports (http://www.kaleme.com/1389/03/22/klm-22546) . Tajik's sister told U.S.
government-backed Farsi-language Radio Farda that her brother was arrested after being summoned to Tehran's
Intelligence Ministry. After a month of not knowing his whereabouts, his family finally confirmed on July 15 that he is
being held in Tehran's Evin Prison, according to news reports (http:llwww.radiofarda.comlarchive/news/20100715
/ 143/143.html?id=2101035) .
Tajik is being held for the third time since the disputed June 2009 elections. He was arrested (http:llcpj.org/2009/12/top-iranian-
journalists- i ailed-in-wake-of-ashura-p. yhy) shortly after the election and released after 46 days in Evin He was rearrested on
December 29 and released after two months, on February 28, according to news reports (http:Ilwww. cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast
/ 03/ Olliran.iournalists.ivleased/index.html) . Currently, he is being charged with “propagation against the regime” in connection with
his membership in the Human Rights Defenders Center, which is led by Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, according to news reports
( htty:1/www.radiofarda.com/archivc lncws/20100715/143/143.htm l?id=2101035) . Recently, the center's members have been facing
increasing pressure from the government as they report human rights violations in Iran, accordiiw (http:Ilwww.iranhumanriahts.o nz
12010/ O6lsilence-taiik-mohammadi-arrestsf) to International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, a U.S.-based nongovernmental
organization
Also in June, Hamed Saber, a freelance photographer, was arrested after posting photographs (http:llwww.tlickr.comlphotoslhamed
1sctsl72157619809375336f) he took of Tehran street protests on photo-sharing websites like Flickr ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamcd
lsetsl721576198093753361) and Picasa (http://picasaweb.google.com/hsaber/25KhordadAzadi) . His pictures were published by a
number of different publications worldwide; one was used as a cover ( http://fann3.static.flickr.com
/ 2545/3740530868 29d5abaccb o.jpg) of Der Spiegel. He was arrested on June 21, according to the Human Rights House of Iran
( http://www.rhairan.us/enl?p=5597) , formerly known as the Reporters and Human Rights Activists in Iran (RAHANA), a local press
freedom and human rights group. News of Saber's detention took weeks to independently confirm.
“We call onTehranto bringto anend its persecutionof critical journalists,” said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, Middle East and North
Africa Coordinator. “Journalists who have been arrested only for doing their job are enduring horrific conditions and treatment in
jail. It is time for the authorities to release all the journalists in its custody.”
Last week, Mohaniniad SeddighKaboudvand, the head of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan and managing editor of the
weekly Payam-e Mardom, suffered his third heart attack in Evin Prison, according to his lawyer, Nasrin Sotondek Kaboudvand was
arrested (http://cpi.oru/2010/06/iran-press-crackdown-continues-a-year-after-disput.php) in 2007 and accused of acting against
national security and engaging against the state. His lawyer told (http://www.iranhumanrights.orgI2 O l O/07/head-of-judiciary-
responsible-for-my-clients-life-says-kaboudvands-lawyer/) the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Kabondvand' s life
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Iran arrests two ntre critical Journalists. Connilttee to Protect Journalists http://cpJ .org/20 1O/07/iran-arrests-two-more-critica l-Journalistsphp
is in danger and that he is not able to speak clearly or to see. “I would like to state that the prison autherities and Head of the
Judiciary are responsible for Mr. Kaboudvand's life,” his lawyer said.
At least 37 journalists were behind bars in Iran as of June 1, according to CPJ's last census (htty://cpj.org/2010/06/iran-press-
crackdown-continucs-a-ycar-after-disyut.yhp) of imprisoned journalists.
July 22, 2010 3:33 PM ET I Permalink (http://cpj.org/201 O/07/iran-arrests-two-more-critical-journalists.php )
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