Page 46 - Shahrvand BC No.1238
P. 46
English Section
Special Reports 46
As election nears, Iran's journalists are in chains
Iran continues to jail dozens of journalists, stifling critical news coverage and commentary. Crucial links to the international community have been
cut off as the June presidential vote approaches. A CPJ special r eport by Sherif Mansour
on reports of fraud to local reporters who 1392 تشهبیدرا20 جمعه- 1238 شماره/ سال متسیب
then relayed the information to colleagues
Journalists Imprisoned in Iran, December 2000-April 2013 outside the country. This chain of In touch with Iranian diversity
Unless otherwise noted, all figures are from CPJ's annual worldwide census conducted in December each information may be broken for this year’s
year. In 2010, as the government's crackdown escalated, CPJ conducted several monthly censuses of vote, Farhi suspects. “The intent,” she
journalists imprisoned in Iran. said, “is to make sure that reporters inside
Iran will hesitate to answer their phones
Published May 8, 2013 on short-term furloughs even as they make new or Skype when Persian-speaking reporters Vol. 20 / No. 1238 - Friday, May 10, 2013
arrests. The pattern of rotating critical journalists in based outside of Iran call to figure out
NEW YORK and out of prison has sown fear and self-censorship what's going on.” 46
Iranian authorities are holding at least 40 across the entire press corps, according to CPJ Authorities also place intense pressure
journalists in prison as the June presidential research. At least 68 Iranian journalists fled into on the families of jailed writers and
election approaches, the second-highest total in the exile between 2007 and 2012 due to harassment editors. One Iranian journalist, M assoud
world and a figure that reflects the government’s and the threat of imprisonment, according to CPJ Lavasani, who fled the country after being
continuing determination to silence independent research. Only Somali journalists have gone into imprisoned and tortured for two years, told
coverage of public affairs, a new analysis by the exile in higher numbers during that period. CPJ that h is wife, Fatemeh Kheradmand,
Committee to Protect Journalists h as found. The Iranian government has used several other a journalist still living in Iran, is now
CPJ’s census of journalists imprisoned on April 15 tactics to intimidate journalists. Authorities have the sole caretaker of their child. She was
also highlights the severe deterioration of freedom blocked millions of websites, banned reformist summoned by authorities for questioning
of expression in Iran over time. In December 2004, publications, and conducted widespread electronic recently. He said he fears that she will be
during the last full year of President Mohammad surveillance in an effort to make a wide range of arrested soon and asked: “What would
Khatami’s tenure, CPJ documented just one topics off-limits to public debate. “Many of the happen to our child now?”
journalist in prison during its annual worldwide topics we could cover five y ears ago, like cultural CPJ research shows that journalists
prison census. By December 2009, after a issues, we couldn’t do anymore,” Omid Memarian, imprisoned in Iran are routinely subject
contested presidential election returned Mahmoud an exiled Iranian journalist, told C PJ. “Journalists to abusive treatment, including floggings,
Ahmedinejad to office, the n umber had grown to were even prevented from covering the earthquake extended periods of solitary confinement,
23 in CPJ’s annual census. CPJ surveys since that relief efforts that happened in Iran last y ear.” and denial of family visits and medical care. Here
time have consistently shown 35 to 5 0 journalists in In 2013, as the Iranian government began a new are other trends and details that emerged in CPJ’s
prison in Iran at any given time. wave of detentions aimed at silencing journalists analysis:
Only Turkey, with 48 in jail, was detaining more ahead of the elections, Intelligence Minister Heydar • Sixty-five percent of journalists are being
journalists on April 15, CPJ research shows. Moslehi announced that 600 Iranian journalists held at Evin Prison in Tehran. A number of them,
As devastating as the imprisonments are to the were part of an anti-state network. He said the including Hossein Derakhshan and Saeed Madani,
individual journalists and their families, the Iranian arrests were an attempt to "prevent the emergence have reported being tortured and coerced into
government’s tactics have had an intimidating effect of sedition prior to the e lections." m aking false confessions. At least two journalists
on the press, choking off the flow of information. Farideh Farhi, a member of the graduate faculty in the past four years have died from severe a buse
This census and CPJ’s past surveys are simply at the University of Hawaii who has written at Evin Prison: Omidreza Mirsayafi in 2009 and
snapshots in time—they do not include the large extensively a bout Iran, said the arrests are part of a Sattar Beheshti in 2012. A third journalist, Hoda
numbers of journalists convicted of crimes or concerted effort by Iranian authorities to break the Saber, died of a heart attack at Evin Prison in 2011
facing charges who are temporarily free on bail or links between reporters inside Iran and their Farsi- after enduring harsh treatment.
furlough. Iran has pursued a revolving-door policy speaking counterparts abroad. In the 2009 election, • Most of the charges were based on the
in imprisoning journalists, freeing some detainees poll observers representing the candidates passed journalists’critical views of the Iranian government.
E ighteen faced charges of “spreading propaganda
against the state”; eight for “acting against n ational
security”; three for “insulting the Supreme Leader”;
one for “insulting the president”; one for espionage
in connection with Israel; and one for “waging war
against God.” At least eight jailed journalists had
not been informed of the charges against them.
• At least eight journalists behind bars
have waged hunger strikes to protest their harsh
conditions a nd abusive treatment. At least 13 have
been placed in solitary confinement. One critical
blogger, M ehdi Khazali, has waged several hunger
strikes in prison to protest his sentence of 14 years
in jail and 90 lashes on charges of “insulting the
supreme leader.” Khazali has been held in solitary
confinement for extended periods and his health
has deteriorated, according to his son
• Several journalists have been detained in
prisons far away from their homes, a tactic used to
punish journalists’ families. For example, at least
nine journalists included in the census, all of whom
are affiliated with the Gonabadi dervishes minority
group in the city of Shiraz, are being held in Evin
P rison, despite their arrest in the town of Kavar,
more than 600 miles away.
Special Reports 46
As election nears, Iran's journalists are in chains
Iran continues to jail dozens of journalists, stifling critical news coverage and commentary. Crucial links to the international community have been
cut off as the June presidential vote approaches. A CPJ special r eport by Sherif Mansour
on reports of fraud to local reporters who 1392 تشهبیدرا20 جمعه- 1238 شماره/ سال متسیب
then relayed the information to colleagues
Journalists Imprisoned in Iran, December 2000-April 2013 outside the country. This chain of In touch with Iranian diversity
Unless otherwise noted, all figures are from CPJ's annual worldwide census conducted in December each information may be broken for this year’s
year. In 2010, as the government's crackdown escalated, CPJ conducted several monthly censuses of vote, Farhi suspects. “The intent,” she
journalists imprisoned in Iran. said, “is to make sure that reporters inside
Iran will hesitate to answer their phones
Published May 8, 2013 on short-term furloughs even as they make new or Skype when Persian-speaking reporters Vol. 20 / No. 1238 - Friday, May 10, 2013
arrests. The pattern of rotating critical journalists in based outside of Iran call to figure out
NEW YORK and out of prison has sown fear and self-censorship what's going on.” 46
Iranian authorities are holding at least 40 across the entire press corps, according to CPJ Authorities also place intense pressure
journalists in prison as the June presidential research. At least 68 Iranian journalists fled into on the families of jailed writers and
election approaches, the second-highest total in the exile between 2007 and 2012 due to harassment editors. One Iranian journalist, M assoud
world and a figure that reflects the government’s and the threat of imprisonment, according to CPJ Lavasani, who fled the country after being
continuing determination to silence independent research. Only Somali journalists have gone into imprisoned and tortured for two years, told
coverage of public affairs, a new analysis by the exile in higher numbers during that period. CPJ that h is wife, Fatemeh Kheradmand,
Committee to Protect Journalists h as found. The Iranian government has used several other a journalist still living in Iran, is now
CPJ’s census of journalists imprisoned on April 15 tactics to intimidate journalists. Authorities have the sole caretaker of their child. She was
also highlights the severe deterioration of freedom blocked millions of websites, banned reformist summoned by authorities for questioning
of expression in Iran over time. In December 2004, publications, and conducted widespread electronic recently. He said he fears that she will be
during the last full year of President Mohammad surveillance in an effort to make a wide range of arrested soon and asked: “What would
Khatami’s tenure, CPJ documented just one topics off-limits to public debate. “Many of the happen to our child now?”
journalist in prison during its annual worldwide topics we could cover five y ears ago, like cultural CPJ research shows that journalists
prison census. By December 2009, after a issues, we couldn’t do anymore,” Omid Memarian, imprisoned in Iran are routinely subject
contested presidential election returned Mahmoud an exiled Iranian journalist, told C PJ. “Journalists to abusive treatment, including floggings,
Ahmedinejad to office, the n umber had grown to were even prevented from covering the earthquake extended periods of solitary confinement,
23 in CPJ’s annual census. CPJ surveys since that relief efforts that happened in Iran last y ear.” and denial of family visits and medical care. Here
time have consistently shown 35 to 5 0 journalists in In 2013, as the Iranian government began a new are other trends and details that emerged in CPJ’s
prison in Iran at any given time. wave of detentions aimed at silencing journalists analysis:
Only Turkey, with 48 in jail, was detaining more ahead of the elections, Intelligence Minister Heydar • Sixty-five percent of journalists are being
journalists on April 15, CPJ research shows. Moslehi announced that 600 Iranian journalists held at Evin Prison in Tehran. A number of them,
As devastating as the imprisonments are to the were part of an anti-state network. He said the including Hossein Derakhshan and Saeed Madani,
individual journalists and their families, the Iranian arrests were an attempt to "prevent the emergence have reported being tortured and coerced into
government’s tactics have had an intimidating effect of sedition prior to the e lections." m aking false confessions. At least two journalists
on the press, choking off the flow of information. Farideh Farhi, a member of the graduate faculty in the past four years have died from severe a buse
This census and CPJ’s past surveys are simply at the University of Hawaii who has written at Evin Prison: Omidreza Mirsayafi in 2009 and
snapshots in time—they do not include the large extensively a bout Iran, said the arrests are part of a Sattar Beheshti in 2012. A third journalist, Hoda
numbers of journalists convicted of crimes or concerted effort by Iranian authorities to break the Saber, died of a heart attack at Evin Prison in 2011
facing charges who are temporarily free on bail or links between reporters inside Iran and their Farsi- after enduring harsh treatment.
furlough. Iran has pursued a revolving-door policy speaking counterparts abroad. In the 2009 election, • Most of the charges were based on the
in imprisoning journalists, freeing some detainees poll observers representing the candidates passed journalists’critical views of the Iranian government.
E ighteen faced charges of “spreading propaganda
against the state”; eight for “acting against n ational
security”; three for “insulting the Supreme Leader”;
one for “insulting the president”; one for espionage
in connection with Israel; and one for “waging war
against God.” At least eight jailed journalists had
not been informed of the charges against them.
• At least eight journalists behind bars
have waged hunger strikes to protest their harsh
conditions a nd abusive treatment. At least 13 have
been placed in solitary confinement. One critical
blogger, M ehdi Khazali, has waged several hunger
strikes in prison to protest his sentence of 14 years
in jail and 90 lashes on charges of “insulting the
supreme leader.” Khazali has been held in solitary
confinement for extended periods and his health
has deteriorated, according to his son
• Several journalists have been detained in
prisons far away from their homes, a tactic used to
punish journalists’ families. For example, at least
nine journalists included in the census, all of whom
are affiliated with the Gonabadi dervishes minority
group in the city of Shiraz, are being held in Evin
P rison, despite their arrest in the town of Kavar,
more than 600 miles away.
