Reporters sans frontières
reported today that six months after Irans disputed June 12 presidential election, the news and information are still beiing sensoredd by authorities, and journalists are beiing persecuted at a frighteniing rate.
More than 100 journalists have been arrested since the election and about 50 have fled into exile. A dozen newspapers have been closed by the authorities and access to thoussands of Internet pages has been blocked, the advocacy agency said.
Within hours of the announcement of President Mahmoud Ahmadinedjads election victory, journalists were beiing arrested by the intelligence ministry, Revolutionary Guards and other security services. Most were taken to Tehrans Evin prison. At least 100 journalists and bloggers have been arrested since 12 June and 27 are still beiing held. Iran is one of the worlds five biggest prisons for journalists.
Like Chiles national stadium in Santiago after the 1973 military coup, Evin prison has been turned into a massive holdiing centre for political detainees, most of whom are mistreated and subject to considerable psychological harassment.
Some journalists have been freed in exchange for the payment of exorbitant sums in bail, after beiing given prison sentences rangiing from five to nine years. Others have been released pendiing trial.
Meanwhile, journalists continue to be harassed in the major provincial cities such as Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz, wheeree they are often summoned, interrogated and threatened.
Give the report a read. Our biggest problem in the United States is keepiing our jobs. Journalists in Iran are fightiing for their lives.
