(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, RSF informed him of its concerns regarding the health of Reza Raïs-Toussi and Hassan Youssefi Echkevari. The organisation also protested the banning of the weekly newspaper “Hambasteghi” and the withdrawal of the licences of two other publications, the weekly “Farday-é-Rochan” and the […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, RSF informed him of its concerns regarding the health of Reza Raïs-Toussi and Hassan Youssefi Echkevari. The organisation also protested the banning of the weekly newspaper “Hambasteghi” and the withdrawal of the licences of two other publications, the weekly “Farday-é-Rochan” and the daily “Fath”. “Even though President Khatami has just been sworn in for a second term, press freedom violations continue at an accelerated pace,” said Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. RSF recalled that, with twenty-six media professionals behind bars, including some who are in very poor health, Iran is the biggest jail in the world for journalists.
According to information collected by RSF, Raïs-Toussi’s health has been deteriorating in recent weeks. Raïs-Toussi is a journalist from “Fath” who has been in jail since 11 March 2001. According to his wife, during her last visit one month ago, he was suffering from exhaustion and fell asleep in front of her. Since then, the judge has prevented his relatives, notably his wife, from visiting him, by not issuing her a visit permit, on the pretext that she had moved. Raïs-Toussi was arrested during a raid at the home of Mohammed Bastehnaghar, journalist from the banned daily “Ars-é-Azadegan”, where nearly thirty persons had gathered.
Moreover, on 8 August, the reformist weekly “Hambasteghi” was banned as a “preventive measure,” according to the Iranian judiciary. The newspaper is also accused of publishing “lies and insults.” Gholamheidar Ebrahimbay Salami, the newspaper’s director, has had at least sixteen complaints filed against him, according to a journalist at the newspaper. On 4 August, the reformist weekly “Farday-é-Rochan” had its licence withdrawn for “publishing untruthful and libellous articles which are in breach of public decency.” Davood Bayat, the newspaper’s editor, received a 4.5 million rial fine (approx. US$2,600; 2,900 euros) for “publishing lies and insults.” In the week of 30 July, the daily “Fath” was banned permanently. The newspaper had previously been banned for six months in April 2000.
In addition, it was one year ago that Echkevari, theologist and contributor to currently banned newspapers such as “Adineh”, “Neshat” and “Iran-é-Farda”, was jailed. His health condition is still of concern as he suffers from diabetes. The verdict in his trial, held in camera between 7 and 15 October 2000, has not been made public. He was arrested on 5 August 2000 upon his return from Europe, where he participated in a conference, held in Berlin on 7 and 8 April 2000, which was judged by the Iranian authorities as “anti-Islamic.” He stated that while Islamic dress codes concerning women in Iran have cultural and historical origins, these are not a necessity in Islam. During his trial, he was accused of “subversive activities against national security,” “defamation of the authorities,” “undermining the prestige of the clergy” and being a “mohareb” (fighter against God).
