Reporters Without Borders condemns closing of newspapers

GVF -- The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has condemned the closure of three newspapers in the past few days and the imposition of a jail sentence on another journalist in the government’s continuing crackdown on the media.

The organisations condemned a decision by the Commission for Press Authorisation and Surveillance, to suspend the business daily Asia and to withdraw the licences of the weeklies Sepidar and Parastoo. In addition, it expressed its dismay over the six-year jail term handed down to Badrolsadat Mofidi, the secretary-general of the Association of Iranian Journalists.

As RWB noted, Asia’s suspension was announced on 17 August by Mohammed Ali Ramin, deputy minister of culture and Islamic orientation, who said it was for “publishing images contrary to public virtues” when in reality it "has been closed for criticising the government’s economic policies and the heavy involvement of the Revolutionary Guards in the economy." Since its launch in 2002, this is the third time that the publication is being suspended. 

Also, several of Asia’s journalists have been jailed since its creation. When it was suspended in July 2003 its editor Iraj Jamshidi was arrested and held for several months. The Tehran supreme court sentenced publisher Saghi Baghernia to six months in prison in August 2006 for “anti-government propaganda.” One of Asia’s reporters, Ali-Reza Ahmadi was arrested in July 2003 and was not released until the following January, after paying 1 billion rials in bail.

The licences of Sepidar and Parastoo were revoked for the same reasons – “publishing images contrary to public virtues.” According to RWB, the latest issues of Sepidar, which is owned by the Tehran University militia and supports radical militia members, had included articles criticising President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s controversial vice-president, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai.

"More than 20 newspapers have been suspended in Iran since President Ahmadinejad’s reelection in June 2009" says the media watchdog and Ramin, the deputy minister of culture, "is keeping his promise to do everything possible to 'liquidate' the press."

"Reporters Without Borders is dismayed to learn that a Tehran revolutionary court sentenced Badrolsadat Mofidi to six years in prison followed by a five-year ban on working as a journalist."

Mofidi was arrested on 28 December 2009, a day after the bloody Ashura protests and was held in ward 209 of Evin prison until 7 June where she was released on a heavy bail. 

"The heavy jail sentence imposed on Mofidi and the closure of the Association of Iranian Journalists for the past year are major blows for press freedom and journalists in Iran."

President Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, are on the Reporters Without Borders list of Predators of Press Freedom.