Cairo January 31, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, today, denounces the Iranian authorities act of arresting 11 reform journalists on the background of working in newspapers that affiliate to the reform trend on Sunday January 27, 2013.

The judicial authorities issued orders to the security forces to arrest 11 reforms journalists, as the security forces raided on the headquarters of 5 newspapers, at the same time; Behar, Sharq, Arman, Ei’temad and weekly Osiiman and they arrested 11 journalists from the employees, they have also confiscated several videotapes.

The security forces, on Saturday January 26, 2013, arrested “Soliman Mohamdy” the chief editor of Behar, Milad Feda’y, the chief editor of the international news agency “Elina”. On Sunday, January 27, 2013, arrested Borya Elmi, Bijman Mosawi from Sharq newspaper in addition to Emili Emraiy from Behar and Akbar Montagi from the weekly newspaper Asiman. They have also arrested Sasan Aki, Jewad Diliri and Nesreen Tekhiri from Eitmad newspaper. Moreover, they have arrested Mothera Shafiy and Nergs Jawdiki from Arman newspaper, as they were charged of dealing with foreign newspapers that broadcast in Persian anti-Islamic state and to disturb it.

ANHRI said that “the arrest of the journalists by the authorities, is a deliberate obstacle to the work of the journalists and a serious violation to the freedom of information collecting and persistence of the authorities to use the repressive policies in prosecuting the journalists and repress them to terrorize and to stop them from opposing the regime”.

ANHRI calls on the authorities to immediately release the detained journalists who were arbitrary arrested.

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