Sixth Online Journalist Thrown in Prison as Authorities Reportedly Prepare
“Adultery” Charges
Reporters
Without Borders, October 29, 2004
Reporters Without Borders today deplored the arrest of
Iranian journalist Fershteh Ghazi, of the daily Etemad (“Confidence”), for
working with reformist Internet news websites and expressed alarm at reports
that the intelligence services were preparing to accuse her and five other
imprisoned journalists of “adultery” in a bid to hide the political nature
of their detention.
“Such accusations, about private matters, would serve
to cover up a flagrant violation of free expression and would be a disgusting
legal spectacle,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
Ghazi was picked up on 28 October by the Teheran morality
police, Edareh Amaken, when she answered a summons to appear before the 9th
chamber of the Teheran prosecutor-general’s office. Her family was not told
why she was arrested or where she was being held.
The five other imprisoned journalists—Javad Gholam
Tamayomi, Omid Memarian, Shahram Rafihzadeh, Hanif Mazroi and Rozbeh Mir
Ebrahimi—are expected to be accused of having sex with her. Some of them are
said to have been forced to sign confessions. Such accusations by the
authorities are common against political prisoners in Iran.
Tamayomi, of the daily Mardomsalari (“Democracy”) was
arrested on 18 October when he answered a summon from the same officials as
Ghazi. Memarian (editor of a weblog) was arrested on 10 October, Rafihzadeh
(cultural editor of Etemad) on 7 September, Mazroi (who worked on several
reformist papers) on 8 September and Ebrahimi (former political editor of
Etemad) at his home on 27 September.
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