(IPI/IFEX) – In a 24 October 2000 letter to Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, IPI condemned the “temporary” bans on three weekly newspapers, increasing the total of recently banned publications in Iran to more than twenty. According to IPI’s sources, the weeklies “Sobh-e Omid” (Morning of Hope), “Mihan” (Homeland) and “Sepideh-e Zendegi” (Dawn of Life) were […]
(IPI/IFEX) – In a 24 October 2000 letter to Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, IPI condemned the “temporary” bans on three weekly newspapers, increasing the total of recently banned publications in Iran to more than twenty. According to IPI’s sources, the weeklies “Sobh-e Omid” (Morning of Hope), “Mihan” (Homeland) and “Sepideh-e Zendegi” (Dawn of Life) were banned by the Tehran Justice Department for “press offences”.
The latest crackdown on Iran’s press started in late April 2000 after Ayatollah Khamenei accused the reformist press of being “bases of the enemy.” He later ordered the Iranian parliament to kill debate on changing Iran’s draconian press law, citing “dangers” to religion. The vast majority of newspapers closed since April received “temporary” bans, but have yet to reopen.
A number of journalists have been jailed on various charges and many others have been released on harsh bail conditions after interrogations pending trial. According to IPI’s sources, on 23 October, Tehran’s justice department chief said that he had begun legal moves to ban a number of other newspapers. He said they had not had the permission to move from weekly to daily publication. These include two major reformist newspapers.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to Iran’s spiritual leader:
– expressing the belief that these judicial and political attacks on journalists and media outlets are gross violations of everyone’s right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” as guaranteed by Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
– urging His Excellency to ensure that these measures are halted immediately, that the imprisoned journalists are released unconditionally and that the media outlets closed down are allowed to resume publication
– further urging him to ensure that journalists in Iran are allowed to carry out their profession safely and without further harassment
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:His Excellency Sayed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 3rd Ave, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Fax: +212 867 7086Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
