(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a WAN letter addressed to President Khatami, expressing WAN’s serious concern at the prosecution of editor Jaleh Oskui and the suspension of her newspaper: **Updates IFEX alert of 13 October 1999** His Excellency Mohammed Khatami President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection Tehran, Islamic Republic of […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a WAN letter addressed to President Khatami,
expressing WAN’s serious concern at the prosecution of editor Jaleh Oskui
and the suspension of her newspaper:
**Updates IFEX alert of 13 October 1999**
His Excellency Mohammed Khatami
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o Embassy in France
Fax: 014 0700157
20 October 1999
Your Excellency,
I am writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers, which
represents more than 17,000 publications in 93 countries, to express our
serious concern at the prosecution of editor Jaleh Oskui and the suspension
of her newspaper. You will remember that I wrote to you on 24 September
regarding the suspension of Neshat and on 28 September concerning the
suspended prison sentence handed down to newspaper director Latif Safari.
According to reports, Ms Oskui, editor of the “Penj-Shanbeh-ha” weekly, was
arrested on 10 October and detained for one week after publishing articles
described as “contrary to Islam” by the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry
reportedly alleged that the newspaper had violated press laws 11 times,
without specifying the nature of the offences committed, while the official
news agency IRNA reported that Ms Oskui was arrested after the newspaper
published “outrageous” articles that “offended public morality and decency”.
“Penj-Shanbeh-ha” has reportedly been suspended.
We respectfully remind you that the arrest of Ms Oskui and the suspension of
“Penj-Shanbeh-ha” are clear breaches of the right to freedom of expression,
which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions. Furthermore, the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights considers that “detention, as
punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion, is one of the most
reprehensible ways to enjoin silence and, as a consequence, a grave
violation of human rights”.
We respectfully call on you to do everything in your power to ensure that
all charges against Ms Oskui are dropped and the suspension of her newspaper
is lifted. We urge you to ensure that all Iranian citizens are able to
exercise fully their right to freedom of expression.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Bengt Braun
President
cc: Mr Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations
Mrs Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Mr Federico Mayor, Director-General, UNESCO
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Appeals To
His Excellency Mohammed Khatami
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o Embassy in France
Fax: +14 070 0157
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