Reporters Without Borders: Iranian Journalists Should Be Released on the Eve of Nowruz

“Reporters Without Borders” has called on the Islamic Republic to release imprisoned journalists in Iran on the occasion of the new solar year. According to this international organization, currently 21 male and female journalists are imprisoned in Iran.

“Reporters Without Borders,” which advocates for journalists’ rights worldwide, has called on Iranian authorities to release all imprisoned journalists on the occasion of the new solar year, stating that “their only crime is their duty to report.”

According to the international organization, “the Islamic Republic of Iran remains one of the world’s largest prisons for journalists,” and currently 21 male and female journalists and citizen-reporters are behind bars.

This freedom of expression advocacy organization states: “Last year, judicial authorities claimed they had pardoned ten thousand prisoners on the occasion of Nowruz; but this year, to this day, none of the prisoners that the regime considers “security-related” have benefited from this pardon and release, including imprisoned journalists.”

The report quotes Javaid Rehman, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, saying: “Iran is one of the worst countries in suppressing freedom of information.”

According to “Reporters Without Borders,” Iranian security officials are pressuring Iranian journalists because of reports about the extent of coronavirus spread in the country. In this regard, several people have been summoned and detained.

The report further states that in Iran, the families of individuals under pursuit are also “subjected to security pressure and are sometimes detained.”

Reporters Without Borders has condemned “judicial harassment and extortion by Iranian authorities against journalists’ families.”

The report concludes that the Islamic Republic of Iran ranks 173rd among 180 countries in the latest global press freedom ranking.

Source: DW