(RSF/IFEX) – On 22 April 2005, journalist Akbar Ganji completed his fifth year in Tehran’s Evin prison. He is seriously ill and should be granted an immediate and unconditional release, says RSF. “Ganji is one of Iran’s leading journalists and, at the same time, the one who has been imprisoned for the longest period. We […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 22 April 2005, journalist Akbar Ganji completed his fifth year in Tehran’s Evin prison. He is seriously ill and should be granted an immediate and unconditional release, says RSF.
“Ganji is one of Iran’s leading journalists and, at the same time, the one who has been imprisoned for the longest period. We call on the judicial authorities to stop ignoring prison doctors, who have been saying for three years that he needs to be released for treatment. His condition requires his immediate hospitalisation. The Iranian authorities will be held responsible for their criminal attitude,” the organisation said.
“Ganji was imprisoned five years ago and is being denied his rights as a prisoner because he criticised the impunity prevailing in Iran in his articles, and because he participated in the pro-reform debate,” RSF noted.
Ganji, who worked for the daily “Sobh-e-Emrooz”, was arrested on 22 April 2000 after appearing before the Press Court, accused of writing that leading figures, including former president Hashemi Rafsanjani and former intelligence minister Ali Fallahian, were involved in the murder of opponents and intellectuals in late 1998. He was also accused of taking part in a conference in Berlin about reform in Iran, which the government charged was “anti-Islamic”.
On 13 January 2001, Ganji was sentenced to 10 years in prison. On 15 May 2001, the Appeals Court reduced his sentence to six months in prison. However, on 15 July 2001, the Supreme Court quashed the May sentence on technical grounds and imposed a six-year sentence.
Ganji is being held in solitary confinement and, unlike other political prisoners, is not allowed to phone his wife. He is rarely allowed to leave the prison, although the law allows this. In the course of his five years in prison, he has been allowed only 40 day passes, most of them for medical appointments. Hospital doctors have recommended that he be hospitalised for back problems and asthma, which has gotten worse because of his prison conditions, but the judicial authorities continue to block this request. His lawyer, Nobel peace laureate Shirin Edabi, has voiced great concern about his state of health.
Meanwhile, repression continues in Iran. In March 2005, several journalists were summoned for questioning by various judicial and security authorities.
On 30 March, Kivan Samimi, editor of the monthly “Nameh”, was summoned by a Tehran court. Mohamad Javad Roh, of the daily “Shargh”, was also summoned on numerous occasions and threatened over his articles about the elections.
A human rights organisation recently formed by journalists in the western province of Kurdistan has reported a major crackdown on the press in the area. According to the organisation, 14 journalists have been summoned recently by courts in the city of Sanandaj. Those journalists summoned included Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand, Ejlal Ghavami, Tonya Kabovand, Namo Hedayati, Yosef Azizi, Kaveh Hosinpanahi, Jahangir Hashemi, Jamshid Vaziri, Hasan Amini and Majid Mohamadi, all from the weekly “Payam-e mardom-e Kurdestan”, Roya Tolou, editor-in-chief of the weekly “Resan”, Abdolah Sohrabi and Saman Solimani, publisher and editor-in-chief, respectively, of the weekly “Rouj Halat”, and Hossin Ahmadinyazi, editor or the weekly “Asoo”. They have all been accused of “publishing false news and publicity against the regime” and “attacking national security”.
