Reporters Without Borders Protests New Wave of Journalist Arrests in Iran

Following the arrest and judicial proceedings against a number of journalists in recent weeks, Reporters Without Borders issued a statement protesting the recent wave of journalist arrests.

In a statement by Reporters Without Borders, referring to the arrests of journalists such as Masoud Kazemi, Ejalal Ghavami, Kazem Imanyzadeh, and Saba Azarpik in recent weeks, and the temporary release of three of them on bail, the organization called for an end to the suppression of journalists and the freedom of all those detained.

“Masoud Kazemi,” an Iranian journalist with a background of collaboration with newspapers such as Shargh and Ghanoon, was arrested at his home in Tehran on Monday, November 14, by security officials.

The journalist’s representative tweeted that security officials arrested Mr. Kazemi upon entering his residence. They also seized items such as a laptop, hard drive, and flash drive, taking them with them.

To date, no information has been released regarding the reason for Masoud Kazemi’s arrest, the detaining agency, or his place of detention, and official sources have remained silent on the matter.

Masoud Kazemi, who previously served as editor-in-chief of the monthly publication Seda-ye Farsi, had recently written posts on his Twitter page about corruption incidents in the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade. He had also posed questions to Hossein Ashena, an adviser to Hassan Rouhani, regarding serial killings.

He is among several journalists who have been arrested or summoned by security agencies in recent weeks. Previously, Amir Hossein Esmaili, Pouyan Khoshhaal, and Saba Azarpik are among journalists who have been arrested.

Some of these journalists are currently free on conditional release or bail pending trial.

International human rights organizations and the United States government have accused the Islamic Republic of violating freedom of expression and suppressing journalists, calling for the release of journalists who have been imprisoned solely for performing their duties and professions.

Based on the global press freedom index published annually by Reporters Without Borders, Iran ranked 165th in the world (among 180 countries) in the 2017 ranking.

Source: Voice of America