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Friday, November 9, 2007

Reporters Without Borders Protest Arrests

Reporters Without Borders today criticized Iran for snubbing appeals from the international community on human rights, as one journalist was imprisoned and two publications suspended.

Yaghoub Salaki Nia was arrested on 31 October and was sent to the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. Salaki Nia wrote for banned publications Shamesse Tabriz, Ahrar and Omid-e Zanjan.

On 5 Novermber, the authorities closed Madresseh for “apostasy.” The philosophical review had published an interview in its latest edition with an intellectual cleric, Mohammad Mojtahed Shabesstary, who carries out research into the Koran. The political monthly Dilmaj, founded in 2004, was also closed on 23 September.

International human rights and free press organizations have repeatedly called for the release of Iranian political prisoners and journalists, including Emadoldin Baghi, Ako Kurdnasab, Ejlal Ghavami, Mohammad Sadegh Kaboudvand, Said Matinpour, Adnan Hassanpour, Abdolvahed Botimar, Kaveh Javanmard and Mohammad Hassan Fallahieh.

Iran is in 166th place out of 169 on Reporters Without Borders' latest world press freedom rankings of October 2007.

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