The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Iranian authorities
to end the campaign of intimidation of journalists in the country following the
closure last night of the Association of Journalists in Tehran whose offices were raided and sealed
by armed men.
In
a meeting this morning with the Iranian
Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium,
the IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said that up to 42 journalists held in
jail should be set free and the Association of Iranian
Journalists (AoIJ), an IFJ affiliate, should be allowed to function.
"There
must be an end to intimidation of journalists if there is to be a new
dialogue," said White. The IFJ says that the closure of the Association of Journalists,
within hours of the swearing in of President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad for a second term after weeks of post-election unrest sends
a chilling message about the country's attitude to press freedom.
After
the meeting in Brussels White said: "Government actions against media and
journalists erode further the credibility and standing of the Government in
national and the world opinion."
According
to the AoIJ, some of whose leaders are in hiding fearing for their safety, their
offices were closed on the order of the government's general prosecutor, Saeid
Mortazavi. The Association says it had planned a general assembly, which the
authorities had banned.
The
IFJ says three more journalists arrested in Tehran this week bring the number of jailed journalists
to 42. Reza Nourabakhsh, editor of Farhikhtegan daily, Mehdi Yazdani
Khoram, editor atItmad e Milli and Mir-Hamid Hassanzadeh of the Iranian students' News agency, ISNA and director of Ghalam
News website, close to defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi,
were arrested on 5 August.
The
AoIJ has also confirmed the death of Alireza Eftekhari, journalist of Abrar
Economic daily, who died of his injuries sustained on 15 June at the hands of Iranian security forces during a media clampdown
following protests over the Presidential elections.
"Iran
must not make journalists scapegoats for its political troubles," said White. "Journalism
should be supported as a voice for democratic rights."
For more information
contact the IFJ at +32 2 235 2207
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists
in 123 countries worldwide