While many were arrested after the 2009 presidential election, a CPJ survey found that a campaign to detain independent and opposition journalists is ongoing.
(CPJ/IFEX) – New York, February 3, 2010 – Iranian authorities are now holding at least 47 journalists in prison, more than any single country has imprisoned since 1996, according to a new survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
While many of the detainees were arrested in the aftermath of the disputed June presidential election, CPJ’s survey found that authorities are continuing to wage an aggressive campaign to round up independent and opposition journalists. At least 26 journalists have been jailed in the last two months alone, CPJ found.
“The relentlessness of the press crackdown in Iran demonstrates that authorities continue to fear new ideas and information,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Our goal is not simply to document the brutality, but to let the government know that the world is watching.”
