(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President Mohamad Khatami, RSF has expressed its concern about the prosecution of Said Hajarian, editor of the reformist daily “Sobh Emrooz”. The organisation assessed this action as an “obstacle to press freedom” and asked the president to “use [his] influence to ensure that the charges against the journalist are […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President Mohamad Khatami, RSF has expressed its concern about the prosecution of Said Hajarian, editor of the reformist daily “Sobh Emrooz”. The organisation assessed this action as an “obstacle to press freedom” and asked the president to “use [his] influence to ensure that the charges against the journalist are dropped.” Furthermore, RSF recalled that “five reformist newspapers were closed by the authorities in 1999.”
According to RSF’s information, on 4 January 2000, Hajarian appeared in Teheran’s Press Court. A number of complaints were lodged against his newspaper by the secret service and the army. Hajarian is notably accused of having “disclosed confidential information.” An arrest warrant against the journalist had been issued a short time earlier.
