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Updated: Thursday, July 16, 2009

10:00GMT—6:00AM/EST

Washington, 16 July (WashingtonTV)—More than 100 journalists from 47 countries on Wednesday sent a petition to Iran’s Judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi, calling for the release of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari.

Among the signatories are Christiane Amanpour, Ted Koppel, Tom Friedman, Jon Snow and Mariane Pearl.

“Mr. Bahari has been detained since 21 June. No charges have been brought against him, and he has not been granted access to a lawyer,” the petition read.

The petition urges Hashemi-Shahroudi to intervene in the case and see that he is released immediately.

“As leading international journalists and editors who wish to ensure that our fellow professionals are permitted to do their work safely and freely, we ask you to consider this petition and return Mr. Bahari to his family, friends, and colleagues without further delays,” the signatories said in the petition.

Bahari, who has been Newsweek magazine’s Iran correspondent since 1998, was among dozens of journalists and bloggers arrested in the aftermath of Iran’s disputed 12 June presidential election.

Canada has called on Iran to release him immediately.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday that Iran’s continued arrests of journalists has “cemented the country... >>>