Campaigns
2 February 2010
Campaigners Call on Europe to Press Iran over Abuse of Human Rights
Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, addressing MEPs during the debate on Iran at the European Parliament in Brussels
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the International Trade-Union Confederation (ITUC) and Amnesty International, today called on political leaders in Europe and around the world to put new pressure on Iran to respect human rights and free expression.
In a meeting at the European Parliament entitled "Human, Journalists and Trade-Union Rights in Iran: the New State of Emergency " moderated by MEP Barbara Lochbihler, chair of the European Parliament's Iran Delegation, fresh calls were made for Iran to end intimidation of human rights defenders and to release from jail dozens of journalists, writers, trades unionists and dissidents.
The meeting heard from Marietje Schaake, MEP serving on the foreign affairs committee, Jaap Wienen, Deputy General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Drewery Dyke, Amnesty International and Aidan White, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists.
The IFJ demanded the immediate release of the 47 journalists currently languishing in Iranian jails, the opening of the Iranian Association of Journalists (AoIJ) sealed on 5 August 2009 and the end to suppression of media workers and citizens voices across the country.
"The work of journalists and the voice of the Iranian people are systematically suppressed in Iran," said Aidan White. "Governments need to apply pressure to demand their release and to demand that the Iranian authorities respect the rights of journalists and human rights defenders."
Iranian and foreign media have been targeted by the authorities. Websites have been closed, newsrooms have been cleared of ?reformist' elements, journalists have been arrested in the dead of night and whisked off to undisclosed locations, and two jailed journalists, Mehrdad Rahimi and Kohyar Goodarze) have been recently labeled Mohareba, or ‘enemies of god', a crime under Iranian law punishable by death .
The June 2009 presidential elections in Iran sparked mass-protests and civil unrest on a scale not seen since the revolution that established the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. Long-standing patterns of human rights violations, including severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, intensified during the protests, and have continued since.
For months since the disputed elections, the numbers of jailed journalists fluctuated around the low 20s, but in the weeks following the Ashura demonstrations in early January, the numbers have dramatically doubled to a list of 47 names today. Three members of the board of the Association of Iranian Journalists, an affiliate of the IFJ, are also in jail including Mofidi Badrossadat General Secretary, Shamsolvaezin Mashaallah, its (Vice President) and board member Mohamad Reza Moghise.
Within the broader trade-union community, hundreds of workers have been arrested for supporting the right to organise or participating in legitimate trade union activities. At least two prominent trade union leaders remain in jail and a teacher is on death row. Free trade unions are not recognised by the authorities and anti-union prison sentences passed by the Revolutionary Courts are common practice.
The media crisis is made worse says the IFJ, by reports of mistreatment of journalists in jail in addition to inmates being denied access to lawyers and their families.
The Association of Iranian Journalists, which normally marks the 2nd February with their annual journalism awards, sent a direct appeal for support to the European Parliament participants . "The government broke all the voices and freedom of the press and union work in Iran. We hope and expect that you will be our voice there and support us to pass this difficult situation," said the Association of Iranian journalists.
"If Iran wants to end its isolation it needs to open itself up to dialogue and self scrutiny and to allow Iranians to tell their story," added Aidan White. "That would send a signal that it is ready for a new exchange about the future and would automatically lower the temperature in an increasingly tense international situation."
The three organisations made their appeal at the European Parliament which is currently considering a new resolution on Iran for debate in Strasbourg next week.
اسامی
روزنامه نگاران دربند: : list of Journalists are in jailed
-1 ساسان آقایی : . Sasan Aghaei
2-بهمن
احمدی امویی : Bahman Ahmadi Amooee, economic journalist, freelancer
3 مصطفی ایزدی :
. Mostafa ezade, freelancer
-4مسعود
باستانی : Masoud Bastani, chief editor of Joumhoriat
news website.
-5عمادالدین باقی :
.Amadoddin Baghe
-6علیرضا بهشتی شیرازی : Alireza
beheshtesheraze
7- مصطقی تاج زاده : Mostafa Tajzade, freelancer political analyst and writer .
8-رضا تاجیک: . Reza Tajik
-9بهرنگ تنکابنی : .
Behrang Tankabone
-10محمد
جواد صادقی حصار : .Mohammadjavad Sadeghehesar
-11علی حکمت : . Ali Hekmat
-12مهسا حکمت: . Mahsa Hekmat
-13محمد داوری:. Mohammad Davare
-14نگین درخشان : . Negin Darakhshan , fereelancerv
-15خلیل درمنکی: Khalil Dermaneke , fereelance
-16مصطفی دهقان: . Mostafa Dehgan
-17مهرداد رحیمی: . Merdad Raheme
-18رضا رفیعی
فروشانی: . Reza Rafieiforoshane
-19احمد
زیدآبادی: Ahmad Zeidabadi, freelance journalist .
-20عیسی سحرخیز: Isa Saharkhiz ,
freelancer journalist.
-21ماشاالله شمس
الواعظین: . Mashallah Shamsovaezin
-22آروین صداقتکیش: . Arvin Sedaghatkish
-23فیض الله عرب سرخی : . Fezollahe Arabsorkhe , fereelancer
-24مزدک
علی نظری: . Mazdak Alinazare
-25کیوان صمیمی: Keivan Samimi,
chief editor of Name magazine.
-26کیوان فرزین: . Keivan Farzin
-27لیلی فرهادپور . Leile Farhadpour :
-28مرتضی کاظمیان: . Morteza Kazemeyan.
-29پریسا کاکائی: . Paresa Kakaei
30-حمزه کرمی : Hamzeh Karami, Joumhoriat news website.
-31روزبه کریمی: .
Roozbeh Kareme
-32نادر کریمی
جونی: . Nader Karemeyejone
-33کوهیار گودرزی: . Kohyar Goodarze
-34سید مسعود
لواسانی: . Seyed Masood Lavasane
-35سعید لیلاز : Saeed Leilaz, chief editor of Sarmayeh..
-36جواد ماهزاده: Javad Mahzade, journalist Yas e No.
-37سام محمودی : . Sam Mahmode ,
fereelancer
-38مهدی
محمودیان: Mehdi Mahmoodian,
freelancer journalist.
-39محمدجواد مظفر : . Mohammadjavad mozaffar , fereelancer
-40بدرالسادات
مفیدی : . Badrossadat Mofede
-41محمدرضا مقیسه : Mohammad Reza
Moghiseh, journalist and reserve AoIJ board member..
-42کیوان مهرگان: . Keivan
Mereghan
-43محسن میردامادی: Mohsen Mirdamadi, chief of Norooz (banned) .
-44شیوا نظرآهاری: . Sheva Nazarahare
-45حسین نورانی
نژاد : Hossein Nooraninejad, freelancer journalist.
-46رضا نور بخش : Mohammad Reza
Nourbakhsh, chief editor of Farhikhtegan.
-47محمد نوری زاد : .
Mohammad Noreza
Newspapers shut
down since the 2009 June elections:
1- Ashti Meli banned on October 6.
2- Arman, banned on October 6.
3- Tahlil rooz Shiraz, banned on October 6.
4- Etemad Melli, banned on August 17.
5- Seday e Edalat, banned on July 27.
6- Kalame Sabz, banned on June 14.
7Sarmayeh
newspepar , banned on November 2 -
Journalists was in jailed and freed
Hengameh
Shahidi, freelancer journalist.
Fariba Pazhooh,
freelancer journalist, translator for El Mundo
Saeed Shariat,
journalist Vaghaye Etefaghie (banned).
Ali Pirhossein Loo, freelancer journalist.
نسرین
وزیری: . Nasrin Vazere
محمدرضا
زهدی: . Mohammadreza Zohde
مهدی
حسین زاده: Mehde Hasanzadeh .
منصوره
شجاعی: . Mansoreh Hasanzadeh
November 16, 2009
IFJ Executive Committee Speaks Out against Media Repression in Iran
The Executive Committee of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), meeting in London on 14-15 November, called on Iranian leadership to release detained journalists, open the office of the Association of Iranian Journalists and lift all restrictions to journalists' freedom of movement in and out of Iran.
In a letter to the highest authorities in Tehran, the IFJ Executive Committee members expressed their concern over the violations of press freedom in the country and denounced arbitrary arrests and detentions of journalists which reached unprecedented levels in the wake of the disputed presidential elections in June.
The Committee's letter followed the IFJ campaign for the release of Iranian journalists which has received backing from many affiliates and was particularly endorsed by the Federation's members in the Middle East and the Arab world in their meeting held in Amman, Jordan in October.
"The IFJ members' response to the campaign for the release of Iranian colleagues has been tremendous," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "It will take this kind of unwavering solidarity to secure freedom of our colleagues in Iran."
Please click here to read the IFJ Executive Committee's letter to Iranian leadership
The IFJ Campaign for the release of Iranian journalists was supported by the following members:
1. Svenska Journalistförbundet/Swedish Union of Journalists
2. All India Newspaper Employees Federation,
3. CWA/SCA - The Newspaper Guild Canada
4. Australia: Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
5. National Union of Journalists - Great Britain (NUJ)
6. Association des Journalistes du Burkina Faso
7. Progressive Journalists Association Turkey (CDG)
8. Federation of Nepali Journalists
9. Forum of Mauritian Journalists
10. New Zealand -Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union
11. Kuwait Journalists Association
12. Belgian Journalists Association (AGJPB)
13. Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ)
14. Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ)
15. Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ)
16. Danish Union of Journalists (DUJ)
17. Asociación de Periodistas Vascos
18. Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas de España (FAPE)
19. Asociacion de la Prensa de Almeria (AP-APAL).
20. Asociación de la Prensa de Tenerife
21. Bahrain Journalists' Association
22. Hong Kong Journalists Association will join the action.
23. Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers' Unions
24. Austria: Autriche: Gewerkschaft de Privatangelstellten, Druck, Journalismus, Papier
25. Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ)
26. Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union dju in ver.di
27. Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe (FEPALC)
28. Asociación Nacional de Periodistas de Peru (ANPP)
29. Polish Journalists Association (SDP)
30. Union of Bulgarian Journalists (UBJ)
31. Journalists Association UAE (UAE- JA)
32. National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
33. National Union of Journalists - Nepal
34. Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS)
35. Syndicat National de la Presse Marocaine (SNPM)
36. Iraqi Journalists' Union (IJU)
37. Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate (KJS - Iraqi Kurdistan)
38. Syndicat National des Journalistes - Algeria (SNJ)
39. Sudanese Journalists' Union (SJU)
40. Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate (YJS)
41. Jordan Press Association (JPA)
42. Oman Journalists Association (OJA)
43. Libyan Journalists Association (LJS)
44. Sindicato Nacional de Redactores de la Prensa de México
IFJ Condemns ongoing Targeting of Iranian Journalists and Calls for Reopening of Journalists' Association's Office in Iran.
26 October 2009
URGENT - IFJ APPEAL FOR IRAN
In response to an urgent appeal from our Iranian affiliate, the Association of Iranian Journalist, the IFJ is launching a call to all member unions to sign on to the appeal to Iranian Authorities deploring the ongoing targeting of Iranian journalists and calling for reopening of Journalists' Association's Office in Iran.
The IFJ will add the name of every union that responds to the appeal to the letter to be sent on 16th November, immediately after the IFJ executive committee meeting in London.
In addition to sending your approval to the IFJ, we ask all unions to ALSO send the attached letter in your own name to the Iranian embassy in your country on the 16th November.
Please send your organization's signature to sarah.bouchetob@ifj.org and ernest.sagaga@ifj.org before 5:00 p.m. CET on Friday 13th November 2009
Please join this appeal, our colleagues in Iran need your support.
23 October, 2009
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is calling on Iranian authorities to reopen the offices of the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ) which was closed down on 5 August on the order of the government's general prosecutor. The authorities sealed the AoIJ office shortly before the general assembly which had been convened to discuss the media clampdown in Iran.
The Association says the decision is illegal. It submitted in September an application signed by more than 300 Iranian journalists to the General Prosecutor for the reopening of their office. No answer has given by the Judiciary so far.
Since the disputed elections in June, scores of journalists have fled the country, more than 50 have been arrested and at least 20 remain in prison. At least six newspapers were also shut down in that period. The authorities have recently started preventing journalists from travelling abroad.
The IFJ demands an immediate end to these violations and for the release of all detained journalists. The Iranian authorities should respect journalists' freedom of movement and reopen the AoIJ offices.
An IFJ regional meeting which brought together 15 union members in the Middle East and the Arab World held in Amman from 5-7 October adopted a strong resolution calling for end of media clampdown in Iran. The statement from union leaders in the region said:
‘'We note with dismay the deterioration of conditions in Iran, where the journalists' association was closed and dozens of journalists detained while others were forced to flee the country. "The meeting expresses full solidarity with Iranian colleagues and calls on the Iranian authorities to lift the siege on the offices of the Iranian Association of Journalists and to release all journalists and to end harassment."
The Federation is calling its member organisations in 125 countries to petition the Iranian authorities.
Join the Campaign calling for:
- The reopening of the office of the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ)
- The release of journalists detained in Iran for carrying out their journalistic work.
Sign on to the letter to the Iranian authorities