19:04GMT—3:04PM/EST
Washington,
8 October (WashingtonTV)—Reporters Without Borders [RSF] on Thursday
condemned the Iranian authorities’ crackdown on press freedom,
following the closure of three newspapers.
“Iran
continues to be at the head of countries that crack down most on press
freedom. The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are in no danger of losing their status as
‘Predators of Press Freedom’,” it said in a statement.
The
order to revoke the licenses of the three dailies, Farhang-e Ashti,
Arman and Tahlil-e Rooz, was issued by the Association for the
Supervision of Publication in Iran, a government commission which
supervises the media.
RSF said that the Iranian government repeatedly accuses the media of being used in an attempt to overthrow the state.
“By
denigrating independent media and branding them as enemies, the regime
is able to systematically block their operations without giving a
specific reason and without citing serious legal grounds,” said the
Paris-based press freedom watchdog.
RSF also voiced concern about the conditions in which journalists are being held in Iran, many in solitary confinement.
According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, at least … >>>
