(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a Human Rights Watch press release: **Updates IFEX alerts of 4 November, 3 November and 29 October 1999** IRANIAN EDITOR ON TRIAL Intimidation of Reformists and Journalists Must Stop (New York, November 10, 1999) — Human Rights Watch today called for the immediate release of Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, the editor-in-chief of […]
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a Human Rights Watch press release:
**Updates IFEX alerts of 4 November, 3 November and 29 October 1999**
IRANIAN EDITOR ON TRIAL
Intimidation of Reformists and Journalists Must Stop
(New York, November 10, 1999) — Human Rights Watch today called for the
immediate release of Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, the editor-in-chief of a
leading daily newspaper, Asr-e Azadegan. Shamsolvaezin is on trial before
the Tehran Press Court, presided over by judge Saeid Mortazavi, and has been
charged with falsifying documents.
During the past two years, Shamsolvaezin has been the editor of a number of
outspoken daily newspapers, including Jame-eh, Tous and Neshat. All were
closed down by the authorities. On several occasions during the month of
October, Shamoslovaezin was summonded to appear before the Tehran Press
Court to answer charges linked to the banning of Neshat. He was finally
detained on November 3 and accused of having forged the signature of the
author of an article published in Neshat, which called for the abolition of
the death penalty. The author, Hossein Bagherzadeh, has freely admitted
writing the article. Judge Mortazavi posted a high bail of 500 million Rials
(approximately US $167,000) and because the editor has been unable to render
this sum, Shamsolvaezin was sent to Evin Prison.
“The trial of Shamsolvaezin is part of a recent pattern of repressive
measures taken against independent newspapers. This intimidation has
noticably increased in intensity in recent months,” said Hanny Megally,
executive director of the organization’s Middle East and North Africa
division. “All the detained or convicted journalists should be immediately
released.”
Human Rights Watch believes that Shamsolvaezin’s latest prosecution is
designed to simultaneously silence him and to discourage other editors and
journalists who are calling for political reforms.
There have been a number of recent high profile cases in which the right to
freedom of expression has been at issue. These include the closure of
Adineh, a cultural weekly, which on November 4 was shut for five years; the
November 2 sentencing of three students charged with publishing an allegedly
blasphemous play in Moj, a university newsletter; and the imprisonment by
the Tehran Press Court, on October 11, of Ms. Jaleh Oskui, the publisher of
Panj-Shanbeh, after her weekly published an article in connection with a
theater piece satirizing Shi’a Islam.
Today is the final day of the high-profile trial of leading reformist and
publisher Hojatoleslam Abdollah Nouri before Iran’s Special Court for
Clergy. The prosecution, which began on October 12, accuses the publisher of
Khordad newspaper of political and religious dissent for articles published
in his newspaper.
Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian government to end its prosecution
and detention of publishers, editors and writers for exercising their right
to freedom of expression. The international monitoring group called on the
Iranian authorities to respect international agreements to which it is a
party and to allow the press to function independently, without threats and
intimidation.
