News

New York, January 20, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the most recent spate of press freedom violations in Iran and calls on authorities to immediately reverse its crackdown on the press.

In the past two weeks, Iranian authorities have arrested seven journalists, CPJ research shows. The country was jailing 42 journalists when CPJ carried out its prison census on December 1. Authorities have also sentenced to death three Web technologists, and continue to mistreat imprisoned journalists by withholding medical care.

"Tehran is sending a message to the opposition media that dissent will be treated with a heavy hand," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "Not only are Iranian authorities detaining more journalists but they also persist in mistreating those who have spent time in official custody."

Iran has maintained a revolving-door policy for imprisoning journalists, freeing some detainees on furloughs even as they make new arrests.

Recent press freedom violations in Iran

On Wednesday, security forces arrested Sahamoddin Boureghani, a photojournalist with the reformist dailies Shargh and Etemad, in his Tehran home, according to the reformist news website Kaleme. Boureghani is the son of the late reformist and former National Press Director Ahmad Boureghani, who worked in Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance during former President Mohammad Khatami's reign... >>>