**Updates IFEX alerts of 7 April 2000, 3 December, 29, 10 and 3 November and 8 September 1999** (RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 19 April 2000 RSF press release: 19 April 2000: for immediate release Repeated attacks on the reformist press Two months after legislative elections were held, Reporters sans frontières (RSF) is alarmed […]
**Updates IFEX alerts of 7 April 2000, 3 December, 29, 10 and 3 November and 8 September 1999**
(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 19 April 2000 RSF press release:
19 April 2000: for immediate release
Repeated attacks on the reformist press
Two months after legislative elections were held, Reporters sans frontières (RSF) is alarmed at the press freedom situation in Iran. On 17 April 2000, the outgoing parliament, dominated by conservatives, passed a law strengthening penalties against the press. This law came one day after the Guardians of the Revolution (Pasdaran) issued a warning to reformist newspapers. The campaign against the independent press has intensified since the beginning of the month, with legal action initiated against journalists and the jailing of Machallah Chamsolvaezine, the daily Neshat’s editor-in-chief.
In 1999, the courts, dominated by conservatives, already put seven journalists behind bars and ordered the closure of five publications. Four journalists are currently jailed for violating the press law.
The press law, which was adopted by the outgoing parliament on 17 April, forbids suspended newspapers from publishing under a new name. This practice was often used by banned reformist newspapers in 1999. Salam became Bayan, Neshat became Asr-E-Azdegan and Khordad became Fath. Another article in the law stipulates that “the members and sympathisers of counter-revolutionary groups or illegal political formations, as well as persons who are sentenced by revolutionary courts for undermining State security, or those who spread propaganda hostile to the Islamic regime, are not authorised to be employed by a publication under any circumstances”. In other words, this means that a journalist who has already been sentenced will never again be able to practice his profession. The text also outlines how the granting of a publication licence requires “the Information and Justice Ministries’ and the police’s pre-authorisation”. Previously, only the Ministry of Culture’s approval was required. In addition, responsibility for articles no longer rests solely with the managing editor of a newspaper, but can also be attributed to the author of an article. As such, the journalist is to be considered an accomplice in the offence. Other articles in the new law ban “any direct or indirect foreign aid to newspapers” and the publication of articles which are critical of the constitution.
The attacks on the reformist press have increased since the defeat of conservatives in legislative elections. Since the 12 March 2000 assassination attempt on Saïd Hajarian, a close friend of President Mohammed Khatami and editor of the daily Sobh-e-emrouz, Information Minister Ali Younessi has forbidden the press from publishing “any unofficial information concerning Mr. Hajarian’s attackers.” Most reformist dailies have criticised this imposed press “blackout” and have decided to ignore the ban. On 2 April, Emadoldin Baghi of the daily Fath appeared before the Revolutionary Court, accused of publishing information about the assassination attempt on Saïd Hajarian. On 5 April, Mohammed-Reza Khatami, editor of the daily Mocharekat and brother of President Mohammed Khatami, was interrogated by the Press Court after a number of complaints were filed on the same matter, notably by the police and the Council of Guardians. As for Hamid-Reza Kaviani, he is to appear on 28 June before the Special Court for Clergy because of his book “The Pursuit of the Criminals”, which is an investigation into the murders of a number of intellectuals in late 1998. Most of the information contained in the book was already published in Asr-e-ma in 1999.
On 10 April, the Appeals Court sentenced Machallah Chamsolvaezine, editor-in-chief of the daily Asr-E-Azdegan and former editor-in-chief of the banned daily Neshat, to two and a half years’ imprisonment for “attacking Islam”. In November 1999, he had been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by the Press Court.
Reporters sans frontières is urging the newly-elected members of parliament, who will be in session as of May 2000, to liberalise the press law. Moreover, the organisation calls on various courts to end their pursuit of journalists from the reformist press. Finally, RSF strongly advises the authorities to release the four journalists who are currently imprisoned.
