CPJ is launching a social media campaign calling for the end of the press crackdown that began on 12 June 2009, the day of Iran's tumultuous presidential elections.
The following is a CPJ Blog post by Jason Stern, CPJ Middle East and North Africa Research Associate.
This Thursday, June 12, 2014, CPJ will launch a social media campaign calling for the end of the press crackdown that began on June 12, 2009, the day of Iran’s tumultuous presidential elections.
A lot has changed in five years. The thunderous demand of thousands – “Where is my vote?” – no longer echoes in the streets. The presidential candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, whose campaigns ultimately helped spark a massive street movement, now languish under house arrest. In place of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the anointed victor of the 2009 elections, is Hassan Rouhani, who won a surprise victory in 2013 on a platform of international engagement and reform. With Rouhani’s election, some people have come to feel that 2009 just may be history and that Iran has moved on.
To commemorate the five-year anniversary of the crackdown, CPJ will look back at those three critical weeks in 2009 when Iran’s journalists were imprisoned by the dozens.
Read more about the campaign and find out how you can Take Action on CPJ’s site.