Letter from 230 journalists to Rouhani: Address the situation of detained journalists

Coinciding with World Press Freedom Day, 230 journalists sent an open letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, calling for an investigation into the situation of detained journalists.

Part of the letter, referring to the imprisonment of a number of Iranian journalists, states: “You are our president and we have voted for ‘measurement and hope’ so that, as per the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, we can witness ‘maximum absorption and minimum rejection’ and not the other way around.”

These journalists have asked the 11th President of the Government to "think of a measure" so that "the word 'influence' is not misused intentionally or unintentionally, and talented journalists do not spend their youth behind bars."

Issa Saharkhiz, the director general of the domestic press during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, Afarin Chitsaz, a columnist for Iran newspaper, Ehsan Mazandarani, the editor-in-chief of Farhikhtegan newspaper, and Ehsan Safarzaei, a freelance journalist, have been in detention since mid-November of last year.

Davoud Asadi, the brother of French-based journalist Houshang Asadi, was also arrested along with these individuals. Mr. Asadi's family recently announced that he was not a journalist and had no press activity.

Meanwhile, last week, the Revolutionary Court sentenced Chitsaz, Ehsan Mazandarani, Ehsan Safarzai, and Davood Asadi to prison .

There have been disagreements between the Iranian government and the judiciary regarding the arrest of these journalists.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has implicitly criticized the arrests, but the judiciary has said it has evidence against the detainees.

Iranian officials say that the arrests of journalists are being carried out for security reasons and not because of their media activities.