Sunday 28 February 2010

'It is invaluable for detained journalists to know their peers are campaigning on their behalf.'

Maziar Bahari, the Newsweek correspondent held in an Iranian jail last year, is helping to spearhead a campaign calling on Iran to free all journalists, writers and bloggers who have been detained.
He is calling for supporters of press freedom in Iran to sign a petition on Facebook.
Bahari says: "More journalists and writers are now in prison in Iran than in any other country in the world. As you are no doubt aware, there has been a continuing brutal crackdown on press freedom since the disputed elections last summer.
"In view of this extreme situation, international press freedom groups are launching a joint international campaign which is running from the anniversary of the revolution on 11 February to Iranian New Year on 21 March. I urge you to sign this petition which we will be sending to Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad, as well as leading ministers in the Iranian government.
"We are not only concerned at the scale of arrests and detentions, but at the treatment of detainees. There are reports of torture and solitary confinement. It is important that the Iranian authorities are aware that their actions have an impact on world opinion and it is invaluable for detained journalists to know that their peers are campaigning on their behalf."
You can find out more about the campaign at www.oursocietywillbeafreesociety.org.

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