Reporters Without Borders / Reporters sans frontières: Iran Becomes World's Biggest Prison for Journalists

Reporters Without Borders
Reporters sans frontières

Repression stepped up
yet again as Iran becomes
world’s biggest prison
for journalists

Published on 21 June 2009
In the same country

19 June 2009 - European Union’s 27 leaders urged not to recognise Ahmadinejad’s reelection

18 June 2009 - Journalists in France demonstrate in support of their Iranian colleagues

17 June 2009 - Press freedom violations recounted in real time

The Islamic Republic of Iran now ranks alongside China as the world’s biggest prison for journalists. The crackdown has been intensified yet again following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s endorsement of the result of the 12 June presidential election and the opposition’s decision to call another demonstration on 20 June.

Iran now has a total of 33 journalists and cyber-dissidents in its jails, while journalists who could not be located at their homes have been summoned by telephone by Tehran prosecutor general Said Mortazavi.

“The force of the demonstrations in Tehran is increasing fears that more Iranian journalists could be arrested and more foreign journalists could be expelled,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The regime has been visibly shaken by its own population and does not want to let this perception endure. That is why the media have become a priority target.”

The press freedom organisation added: “The international community cannot continue to ignore the situation. It must have a clear and unanimous reaction that is proportionate to the gravity of these events. And there will never be any question of recognising the results of the 12 June election.”

Reporters Without Borders already wrote to the leaders of the European Union’s 27 member countries urging them not to recognise President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection.

It has emerged that Mohammad Ghochani, the editor of Etemad Meli (a daily owned by Mehdi Karoubi, one of the opposition presidential candidates), was arrested at 2 a.m. on 18 June. Intelligence ministry officials took him away to an unknown location, probably the security wing of Tehran’s Evin prison.

Ghochani is also the editor of the dailies Shargh and Hammihan and the weekly Saharvand Emroz. The publication of all these newspapers had already been suspended before his arrest.

Reporters Without Borders has also learned that blogger and human rights activist Shiva Nazar Ahari was arrested at her Tehran home on 14 June (see her blog: http://azadiezan.blogspot.com).

Husband-and-wife journalists Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee and Jila Baniyaghoob were arrested at midnight of 20 June by intelligence ministry officials in plain clothes who searched their home and then took them away to an as yet unknown location, probably the security wing of Tehran’s Evin prison.

A winner of the Courage in Journalism prize awarded by the International Women’s Media Foundation, Baniyaghoob edits a news website that focuses on women’s rights, Canon Zeman Irani (http://irwomen.net). Her husband, Amoee, writes for various pro-reform publications.

Reporters Without Borders has also been able to confirm that Ali Mazroui, the head of the Association of Iranian Journalists, was arrested in the morning of 20 June.

The BBC confirmed in the afternoonof 21 June that its Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne, has been ordered to leave the country within 24 hours. Officials accused him of “supporting rioters”. The authorities had previously accused Britain of “conspiring“ against Iran.

Journalists and activists held in Evin prison are being put under a lot of pressure to make filmed “confessions” acknowledging their participation in a “velvet revolution.” Reporters Without Borders has also received many allegations of torture.

The state radio and TV broadcaster is meanwhile putting out false information about the opposition candidates and the cancellation of today’s demonstration. Foreign news agency correspondents are also being pressured not to report anything about the opposition.

A few hours after Ayatollah Khamenei’s speech yesterday endorsing Ahmadinejad’s election and banning any demonstrations, several videos were posted online showing individuals on rooftops chanting “Allah Akbar!” (see this Iranian blogger’s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZfm...).

After being blocked since 11 June, the Iranian news website Entekhab (www.entekhabnews.com/) has now been closed down on the orders of the Tehran prosecutor general.

At least 20 journalists had already been arrested since 12 June (see list below). Reporters Without Borders has not been able to trace many others. Some may have found refuge but others may now be with those of their colleagues who had already been in jail for some time. Even before the election, Iran was ranked as the Middle East’s biggest prison for journalists and cyber-dissidents.

Twenty-three journalists have been arrested in the week since the presidential election results :

14 June:

- Somayeh Tohidloo, who also keeps a blog (http://smto.ir)

- Ahmad Zeydabadi

- Kivan Samimi Behbani

- Abdolreza Tajik

- Mahssa Amrabad

- Behzad Basho, a cartoonist

- Khalil Mir Asharafi, a TV producer

- Karim Arghandeh, a blogger (http://www.futurama.ir/) and reporter for pro-reform newspapers Salam, Vaghieh and Afaghieh, who was arrested at his Tehran home.

- Shiva Nazar Ahari (see her blog: http://azadiezan.blogspot.com).

15 June:

- Mohamad Atryanfar, the publisher of several newspapers including Hamshary, Shargh and Shahrvand Emrouz, who has reportedly been taken to the security wing of Evin prison.

- Saeed Hajjarian, the former editor of the newspaper Sobh-e-Emrouz, who was arrested at his Tehran home on the night of 15 June despite being badly handicapped.

- Mojtaba Pormohssen, who edits the newspaper Gylan Emroz and contributes to several other pro-reform newspapers and radio Zamaneh. He was arrested in the northern city of Rashat.

16 June:

- Mohammad Ali Abtahi, also known as the “Blogging Mullah,” who was arrested at his Tehran home. His blog: http://www.webneveshteha.com/.

- Hamideh Mahhozi, arrested in the southern city of Bushehr.

- Amanolah Shojai, who is also a blogger. Arrested in Bushehr.

- Hossin Shkohi, who works for the weekly Paygam Jonob. Arrested in Bushehr.

- Mashalah Hidarzadeh, arrested in Bushehr.

17 June:

- Saide Lylaz, a business reporter for the newspaper Sarmayeh, who had been very critical of Ahmadinejad’s policies. He was arrested at his Tehran home.

- Rohollah Shassavar, a journalist based in the city of Mashad.

18 June:

- Mohammad Ghochani, the editor of Etemad Meli.

20 June:

- Jila Baniyaghoob, editor of website Canon Zeman Irani (http://irwomen.net),

- Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee,

- Ali Mazroui, the head of the Association of Iranian Journalists.

================================

La répression s’accentue
encore et le pays devient
la première prison du monde
pour les journalistes

Publié le 21 juin 2009
Dans le même pays

19 juin 2009 - Reporters sans frontières en appelle aux 27 chefs d’Etat de l’Union européenne

19 juin 2009 - Les journalistes en France se mobilisent en faveur de leurs collègues iraniens

17 juin 2009 - La répression s’intensifie contre la presse, nationale et étrangère

La République islamique d’Iran occupe désormais, avec la Chine, le rang de première prison du monde pour les journalistes. La répression s’est encore accentuée à l’issue de la confirmation par le Guide Suprême Ali Khamenei, le 19 juin 2009, du résultat de l’élection présidentielle du 12 juin, et en marge de la manifestation convoquée, le 20 juin, par l’opposition.

Le pays compte trente-trois journalistes et cyberdissidents emprisonnés. Le procureur de Téhéran, Saïd Mortazavi, a convoqué par téléphone les journalistes qui n’ont pas été localisés à leur domicile.

“La violence des manifestations à Téhéran fait craindre a tout moment de nouvelles arrestations de journalistes iraniens et d’autres expulsions de confrères étrangers. Le régime, profondément ébranlé par sa propre population, ne peut tolérer d’être ainsi perçu. C’est pourquoi il s’attaque en priorité à la presse. La communauté internationale ne peut plus ignorer la situation. Sa réaction, claire et unanime, doit être à la mesure d’un événement de cette gravité. Il ne sera jamais question de reconnaître le résultat de la présidentielle du 12 juin”, a rappelé Reporters sans frontières, qui a écrit en ce sens aux chefs d’État et de gouvernement des 27 pays de l’Union européenne.

Mohammad Ghochani, rédacteur en chef du quotidien Etemad Meli, propriété de Mehdi Karoubi, l’un des candidats d’opposition à Mahmoud Ahamadinejad, a été arrêté à Téhéran, le 18 juin à deux heures du matin. Des fonctionnaires du ministère du Renseignement l’ont transféré vers un lieu non précisé, vraisemblablement la section de sécurité de la prison d’Evin. La parution des quotidiens Shargh et Hammihan ainsi que de l’hebdomadaire Saharvand emroz, dont il était également rédacteur en chef, avait déjà été suspendue.

Reporters sans frontières a également eu connaissance de l’arrestation, le 14 juin à son domicile de la capitale, de Shiva Nazar Ahari, cyberdissidente et activiste des droit de l’homme (voir son blog : http://azadiezan.blogspot.com).

Le 20 juin à minuit, le domicile de Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee et son épouse Jila Baniyaghoob, à Téhéran, a fait l’objet d’une perquisition d’agents en civil du ministère du Renseignement. Le couple de journalistes a été aussitôt arrêté et transféré vers un lieu non précisé, vraisemblablement la section de sécurité de la prison d’Evin. Lauréate en 2009 du Prix du Courage en journalisme, décerné par la International Women’s Media Foundation, Jila Baniyaghoob dirige un site d’informations de tendance féministe, Canon Zeman Irani (http://irwomen.net). Son mari, Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee, collabore à plusieurs publications proches du courant réformateur. Reporters sans frontières a également eu confirmation de l’arrestation d’Ali Mazroui, le président de l’Association des journalistes iraniens, dans la matinée du 20 juin.

Enfin, la BBC a confirmé, dans l’après-midi du 21 juin, que son correspondant à Téhéran, Jon Leyne, avait reçu l’ordre de quitter le pays dans les vingt-quatre heures. Le journaliste est accusé de “soutien aux émeutiers” par les autorités, pour qui la Grande-Bretagne "comploterait" contre l’Iran.

Les journalistes et activistes emprisonnés à la prison d’Evin subissent d’importantes pressions de la part des autorités pour faire des “aveux” filmés, au titre de leur “participation à une révolution de velours”. Nombreux sont les cas de tortures signalés à Reporters sans frontières.

La radio-télévision d’État s’est par ailleurs employée à attribuer de fausses informations aux candidats d’opposition, notamment l’annulation de la manifestation du 20 juin. La pression s’exerce également sur les agences de presse étrangères pour que leurs correspondants ne relayent aucun fait rapporté par l’opposition. Quelques heures après la discours du 19 juin de l’ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmant la “victoire“ de Mahmoud Ahmadinedjad et interdisant toute manifestation, plusieurs vidéo circulant sur Internet ont montré des individus perchés sur des toits et scandant “Allah Akbar !” (voir la vidéo d’une blogueuse iranienne : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZfm...). Le site d’informations Entekhab (//www.entekhabnews.com/), filtré dès le 11 juin, a été fermé sur ordre du procureur du Téhéran.

Au moins vingt-trois journalistes ont déjà été arrêtés depuis le 12 juin (liste ci-dessous). Nombreux sont ceux dont Reporters sans frontières a perdu la trace. Dans le meilleur des cas, ils se sont mis à l’abri. Au pire, ils sont déjà sous les verrous, rejoignant leurs confrères détenus de longue date. Avant le scrutin présidentiel, l’Iran avait déjà la triste réputation de plus grande prison du Moyen-Orient pour les journalistes et cyberdissidents.

Les vingt-trois journalistes arrêtés depuis le 14 juin 2009

Le 14 juin 2009 :
- la cyberdissidente Somaieh Tohidlou (http://smto.ir)
- Ahmad Zeydabadi,
- Kivan Samimi Behbani,
- Abdolreza Tajik,
- Mahssa Amrabadi,
- Behzad Basho, le caricaturiste
- Khalil Mir Asharafi, réalisateur à la télévision iranienne
- Karim Arghandeh, journaliste pour les journaux réformateurs Salam, Vaghieh etafaghieh, et blogueur (http ://www.futurama.ir/) a été arrêté à son domicile de Téhéran.
- La cyberdissidente Shiva Nazar Ahari ( http://azadiezan.blogspot.com)

Le 15 juin 2009 :
- Mohamad Atryanfar, directeur de plusieurs publications comme Hamshary, Shargh, Shahrvand Emrouz, aurait été transféré à la section de sécurité de la prison d’Evin.
- Saïd Hajarian, ancien directeur du journal Sobh-e-Emrouz, a été arrêté par les forces de l’ordre dans la nuit du 15 au 16 juin à son domicile de Téhéran, alors même qu’il est handicapé.
- Mojtaba Pormohssen, journaliste pour plusieurs journaux réformateurs, collaborateur à la radio Zamaneh et rédacteur en chef du journal Gylan Emroz, a été arrêté à Rashat (nord du pays).

Le 16 juin :
- Mohammad Ali Abtahi, surnommé “Mollah blogueur“, a été arrêté à son domicile de Téhéran. Son blog : http://www.webneveshteha.com/.
- Mme Hamideh Mahhozi, arrêtée à Bushehr (sud de l’Iran)
- Amanolah Shojai, journaliste et blogueur, arrêté à Bushehr
- Hossin Shkohi, journaliste à l’hebdomadaire Paygam Jonob, arrêté à Bushehr
- Mashalah Hidarzadeh, arrêté à Bushehr

Le 17 juin :
- Saide Lylaz, journaliste au journal Sarmayeh, a été arrêté à son domicile de la capitale. Ce spécialiste des questions économiques s’est montré très critique envers la politique d’Ahmadinejad.
- Rohollah Shassavar, journaliste de la ville de Mashad, est détenu depuis la même date.

Le 18 juin :
- Mohammad Ghochani, rédacteur en chef du quotidien Etemad Meli.

Le 20 juin :
- Jila Baniyaghoob, directrice du site d’informations Canon Zeman Irani (http://irwomen.net),
- Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee,
- Ali Mazroui, président de l’Association des journalistes iraniens.

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Reporters Without Borders
Reporters sans frontières

Introduction

Published on 24 April 2009

"Don’t wait to be deprived of news to stand up and fight for it"

In some countries a journalist can be thrown in prison for years for a single offending word or photo. Jailing or killing a journalist removes a vital witness to events and threatens the right of us all to be informed. Reporters Without Borders has fought for press freedom on a daily basis since it was founded in 1985.

Investigate, expose and support

Reporters Without Borders:
- defends journalists and media assistants imprisoned or persecuted for doing their job and exposes the mistreatment and torture of them in many countries.
- fights against censorship and laws that undermine press freedom.
- gives financial aid each year to 100 or so journalists or media outlets in difficulty (to pay for lawyers, medical care and equipment) as well to the families of imprisoned journalists.
- works to improve the safety of journalists, especially those reporting in war zones.

Before taking action, Reporters Without Borders researchers, who each handle a region (Africa, the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe and the former Soviet bloc, Middle East/ North Africa) or a topic such as the Internet, compile reports of press freedom violations. After checking the information, the researchers and the organisations’ correspondents send protest letters to the authorities to put pressure on governments which do not respect the right to inform and to be informed, and send releases to the media to drum up support for the journalists under attack.

Sometimes gathering information is not enough. A Reporters Without Borders fact-finding mission is then sent to investigate on the spot the working conditions of journalists, as well as cases of imprisoned or murdered journalists, and also to meet with the authorities in the country concerned.

Publicity campaigns conducted with the help of public relations firms aim to inform people and try to give countries which do not respect this basic right a bad name in the eyes of international institutions, the media and governments that have ties with them.

Reporters Without Borders is funded by the sale of its twice-annual albums of photographs as well as calendars, by auctions, small and large donations, member dues, public grants and partnerships with private firms.

An international organisation

Reporters Without Borders is present in all five continents through its national branches (in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland), its offices in New York, Tokyo and Washington, and the more than 120 correspondents it has in other countries. The organisation also works closely with local and regional press freedom groups that are members of the Reporters Without Borders Network, in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burma, Colombia, Democratic Congo, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Russia, Somalia, the United States and Tunisia.

Reporters Without Borders is registered in France as a non-profit organisation and has consultant status at the United Nations.

In 2005, the organisation won the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

A constantly-updated website

All the organisation’s press releases and publications are available online in five languages (Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Persian) at its website www.rsf.org which keeps a daily-updated list of journalists killed or imprisoned around the world. It also contains detailed reports on special cases and invites the public to sign online petitions for the release of jailed journalists.

Press freedom events

As well as its daily press releases, fact-finding mission reports and regular publications, Reporters Without Borders stages several annual events to highlight the issue of press freedom.

- The round-up of press freedom in the world In January, the organisation summarises the previous year, with the number of journalists arrested, threatened, physically attacked or killed and media censored.

- World Press Freedom Day On this day (May 3), Reporters Without Borders publishes its list of the predators of press freedom, as well as a book of photographs which is sold to raise money for the organisation to continue its work.

- The Worldwide Press Freedom Index Issued in October, measuring the degree of freedom journalists and media have in more than 160 countries.

- Jailed Journalists Support Day Reporters Without Borders has lobbied media and journalists since 1989 to “adopt” journalists imprisoned for doing their job and to publicise their plight on this day each November so they are not forgotten. A second book of photographs is also published on the day to raise money to help imprisoned journalists.

- The Reporters Without Borders Prize In December. This honours a journalist who, by work, attitude or principled stands, has shown strong belief in press freedom, a media outlet that exemplifies the battle for the right to inform the public and to be informed, a defender of press freedom and a cyber-dissident spearheading freedom of expression online.