At the end of April, 17 pro-reform papers in Iran were closed on orders of the press court. The closure used emergency power and bypassed even the current restrictive press laws. A number of Journalists have been jailed.
Akbar Gangi, whose disclosures on the serial killings of writers and dissident politicians so inflamed the ultra-conservatives, was arrested on his return from a conference in Berlin at the invitation of the Heinrich Boell Institute. Latif Safari, publisher of the previously banned Neshat, had his appeal against a two and a half year prison sentence rejected. Another Neshat editor Mashallah Shamsolvae'zin, was already in prison. In Ghazvin, a woman Journalist Fatemeh Kulahi was arrested and in Tehran publisher Shahla Lahigi, lawyer Merhangiz Kar and student activist Ali Afhsari have been arrested. Further attacks on the press and arrest of Journalists are believed to be imminent.
This is an open challenge to the right to free speech, expression and access to information, in a way that is totally unsurpassed in the last 21 years. It is a clear attempt to claw back the gains of the last two years. If the perpetuators succeed in their aims, then the whole process of change in Iran will face a major stumbling block.
Therefore:
We the undersigned:
1. Demand the immediate release of the newspapers, weeklies and monthly from the illegal ban imposed on them.
2. Demand the unconditional release of jailed Journalists.
3. Demand an immediate end to the campaign to intimidate the press.
4. Ask the media outside Iran to place sanctions on the propaganda machinery of the Islamic Republic and especially on the radio television network (IRIB) a tool in the hands of the ultra-conservative faction. Any co-operation with IRIB, including access to international news, sport and entertainment media, as well as access to satellite broadcasting should cease.
5. Call on all Journalist unions, writers associations, organisations devoted to free speech and human rights, the United Nations, the European and other democratically elected parliaments to put the greatest pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran to stop its suppression of freedom of expression and to remove the ban on the press.
6. We pledge to place whatever means at our disposal to get the voice of the internal opposition heard outside, and more importantly, inside Iran.
Haleh Afshar (York University -UK)
Roya Alavi (Psychologist, UK)
Gregory Albo (York University, Canada)
Ali-Mohammad Arbabi ( Writer, Publicist UK)
Lord Eric Avebury (Chairman Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, UK)
Shahrzad Arshadi, (Montreal, Canada)
Ali Ayneh (Poet, UK)
Ali Azad (Political Activist, New York, USA)
Azhdar Azhkan (Gerogia, USA)
Aziz Al Azmeh (Berlin University, Germany)
Alireza Azizi (Amnesty International, Los Angeles Chapter, USA)
Feridoun Babai, (Professor Universite de Montreal)
Hossein Bagher Zadeh (Human Rights Activist, UK)
Sohrab Beda (Denison University, Ohio, USA)
Tony Benn (Member of Parliament, UK)
Nenad Bicanic (Glasgow University, UK)
Patrick Brady (London Guildhall University, UK)
Feridoun Babai (Universite de Montreal,Canada)
An Bedlis ( Radio journalist, Germany)
Sohrab Behdad (Denison University, Ohio, USA)
Adrian Borger (Journalist, Germany)
Jim Boumelha ( Executive Committee, International federation of Journalists)
Francis Brodick ( Edinburgh University, UK)
W.Elliot Bulner ( Edinburgh University, UK)
Ross Campbell (Engineer Edinburgh, UK)
Dara Chehrazi (USA)
Louise Christian (Lawyer, UK)
Noam Chomsky (Massachusset Institute of Technology, USA)
Mohamad Dastbaz (South Bank University, London, UK)
Julie David (Edinburgh University, UK)
John Graham Davies (British Actors Equity -in a personal capacity, UK)
Bhairavi Desai (Trade Union activist, NYTW, New York, USA)
Marcela Godoy Divin
Mathilda Dortmund (Germany)
Ann Drummond (Glasgow University, UK)
Steve Drury (Open University, UK)
Goudarz Eghtedari (Portland State University, Oregon, USA)
Parvin Farid (writer, UK)
Mohamad Kazem Faramarzi (Political activist, USA)
Mansour Farhang (Political Science, Bennington College, Bennington, USA)
Yasmin Fedda (Edinburgh University, UK)
Bjorn Fischer (radio journalist, Germany)
Oliver Fortse (radio journalist, Germany)
Bridget Fowler (Glasgow University, UK)
Reza Gaffari (writer, London, UK)
Mark Goodman (York University, Canada)
A. Holberg (journalist, writer, Germany)
Jennifer Henderson (Against Police Brutality, New York, USA)
Andreas Hilbert (journalist, Germany)
Khalil Hindi (Brunel University, UK)
David Hookes (Hookes Scientific. Ltd, UK)
Hilary Horrocks (NUJ, Edinburg, UK)
A. Hubert (Edinburgh University, UK)
Suhar Huneidi (Edinburgh University, UK)
Tale Hungnes (Member of the city council, Bergen, Norway)
Mohsen Jalali (Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, Canada)
Lazar Jelic (Germany)
Andreas Jopp (Germany)
Eric Karas (Bedford, UK)
Sangeeta Karnat (University of Massachusset, USA)
Mata Mandir Kaur Khalsa, (Herndon, VA, USA)
Mansour Khaksar (writer , USA)
Floressa Karamasou (Exec Secretary Common Wheel, Edinburgh, UK)
Renate Klain (Germany)
John Knoepfle, (professor emeritus, Auburn IL USA)
Peggy Sower Knoepfle, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Auburn IL USA
Basil Kouvaritakis (Oxford University, UK)
Sonke Kratt (Engineer, Germany)
Martina Kroplin (student, Germany)
Shashi Kumavan (Edinburgh University, UK)
Sattar Laghaii (writer, London, UK)
Liz Leicester (London, UK)
Colin Leys (Queens University, Canada)
Moshe' Machover (King's College, University of London, UK)
Harry Magdoff (Editor Monthly Review, USA)
Akbar Mahdi (Ohio Wesleyan University)
David Mather (Glasgow Caledonian University, UK)
Yassamine Mather (Glasgow University, UK)
Biju Mathew (Rider University, NJ, USA)
Monami Maulik (Yale University, USA)
Melissa McPhail (Edinburgh University, UK)
Ardeshir Mehrdad (Editor Iran Bulletin)
Raza Mir (Momouth College, USA)
Morteza Miraftabi (writer, editor of the paper Simorgh, USA)
Shahrzad Mojab (OIS University of Toronto, Canada)
Haideh Mogheissi (York University, Canada)
Morteza Mohit (writer, New York, USA)
Rev Karen M. Morrow (Chaplain, NIH Clinical Centre, USA)
David Muller (Edinburgh, UK)
Bob Myers (Workers Aid, UK)
Majid Naficy (writer, researcher, USA)
Hossein Naghpour (radio journalist, Germany)
Neda Namiranian (UCLA, California USA)
Verene Nicholas (Centre for Human Ecology, Edinburgh, UK)
Machouf Nima
Farhad Nomani (American University, Paris, France)
Shirin Pakfar (Berkely University, California, USA)
Gregory Palast (Journalist, US/UK)
Bahram Parineh (UC Davies, California, USA)
Sharnoosh Parsipour (writer USA)
Crawford Prentice (Edinburgh, UK)
Simon Pirani (Journalist, London, UK)
Ahmad Rafat, Journalist (Bureau Chief of Tiempo magazine, Spain)
Nasser Rahmani Nejad (director, actor, USA)
Saeed Rahnema (York University, Canada)
Ronaldo Ramirez (University College, London)
Shirin Razavian (writer, member of Pen International, London, UK)
Hannu Reime (journalist, Helsinki, Finland)
Hossein Riyahi (journalist, UK)
Mahnaz Roshan (UCLA, California USA)
Reza Salimi Asl (journalist, Germany)
Ingrid Samset (Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway)
Mahmoud Sarabi (journalist, UK)
Jo Scrader (journalist, Germany)
Jennifer Scurel (Edinburgh University, UK)
Dennis Schmehl, (Unionist/Labour Activist, USA)
Johannas Schrude (Germany)
Hammed Shahidian (Springfield University, Illinois, USA)
Mohsen Shahmanesh (Physician, UK)
Majid Sharifi
Natalie Shamoradi (Edinburgh University, UK)
Dennis Schmehl (Labour Activist, Unionist, USA)
Cliff Slaughter (Bradford University, UK)
Roger Smith (London, UK)
Eric Snider, (Burma Courier)
Manuchehr Soleimani (professor of medicine, Cincinnati USA)
Oliver Sobortha (journalist, Germany)
George Szamuely (journalist New York Press, USA)
Amir Taheri (Helsinki University of Technology, Finland)
Shahriar Taheri, (Montreal, Canada)
Stefani Theil (student, Germany)
Detelv Tenzer (journalist, Germany)
Hillel Ticktin (Glasgow University, UK)
G.Timerman (Edinburgh University, UK)
Ranka Timm (journalist, Germany)
Geraldine Thorpe (London Guildhall University, UK)
Marianne Tennessen (Oslo, Norway)
Steve Ury (Open University-UK)
Naz Vakhshari (UCLA, California USA)
Jon Peder Vestad (Volda University College, Norway)
Judith Vidal-Hall (Editor Index on Censorship, UK)
A.Walton (Publisher, Edinburgh, UK)
Emilie Wilson (Edinburgh University, UK)
Thorsten Wittemeir (student, Germany)
Ben Young (Edinburgh University, UK)
Mehdi Yousefi (orthodontist, USA)