Iranian Journalists in Fear After Arrests

The arrest of at least 14 journalists in Tehran over the course of three days this week, just a few months before the June presidential election has come as a shock to members of the Iranian press, reports Tehran Bureau.

“We have to stay up all night tonight,” said a journalist based in Tehran. “They could raid our homes.”  (Tehran Bureau, 30 January)

The current crackdown began Saturday with the arrests of Milad Fadayi-Asl, political affairs editor of the Iranian Labour New Agency (ILNA), and Soleyman Mohammadi, a reporter for the Bahar daily.

Late Sunday afternoon, eight security agents entered the offices of the pro-reform Etemad daily. They detained social affairs editor Nasrin Takhayori, political affairs editor Javad Dalirei, and Saturday supplement editor Sassan Aghaei, who were taken to an unknown location. Eight other agents went to the offices of Bahar around the same time looking for Reyhaneh Tabatabaei, but the young journalist was not there.

That evening, agents raided the offices of two more dailies, Arman - where they arrested Motahhareh Shafiee and Nargess Jodaki - and Sharq - where they arrested Pejman Mousavi, Pouria Alemei, and Sadra Mohaghegh. Akbar Montadji was arrested at the offices of the weekly Aseman, and two more journalists, Emily Amraei and Sabba Azarpeyk, were arrested in their homes.

To read the full Tehran Bureau report in today's edition of the Guardian, please click here. 

Photo: Faces of detained journalists (EA)