The International Federation of Journalists called for the cancellation of Keyvan Samimi's prison sentence.
The International Federation of Journalists condemned the prison sentence of Keyvan Samimi, a journalist and one of the detainees on International Workers' Day in Iran, and called for the sentence to be overturned.
On Thursday, May 25, the International Federation of Journalists issued a statement condemning the five-year prison sentence of this Iranian journalist, which was issued without his presence in court, and called on the Iranian government to overturn the sentence.
Anthony Belanger, Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists, expressed surprise at the criminalization of participation in the May Day march and called on the Iranian government to stop attacking journalists, respect the unions and professional rights of journalists, and not violate their fundamental rights.
Keyvan Samimi, a journalist and one of the detainees on International Labor Day, announced on his Telegram channel on Monday, May 25, the news of his 5-year prison sentence, and announced that the formation of the People's Freedom Party of Iran, which took place 22 years ago, being the editor of the Iran Farda magazine, uploading material to cyberspace, giving speeches and inciting audiences, supporting political prisoners, and participating in an illegal Labor Day rally were among the charges in his sentence.
The issuance of prison sentences for political and ideological activists and journalists such as Keyvan Samimi comes at a time when, with the spread of the coronavirus in Iranian prisons, Iranian government officials have prevented the release or granting leave to some political and civil prisoners.
Earlier, Javed Rehman, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, called on Tehran to temporarily release all prisoners. He had previously said that the continued detention of political prisoners amid the coronavirus outbreak was “regrettable and concerning.”
Source: Voice of America
