Iran arrests two cyber-journalists
No explanation has been given for the arrest of online journalist and blogger Shahnaz Gholami in Tehran on 9 November. She has been arrested and jailed several times in the past for her activities as a women’s rights activist and journalist. Most recently, on 20 September she was sentenced to six months for “publicity against the Islamic Republic”, but was free pending her appeal.
Reporters Without Borders suggests this is part of an official campaign of intimidation against cyber-journalists.
“Gholami is the second cyber-journalist currently detained and we fear there could be a major crackdown,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The authorities no longer hide the fact they see most news and information channels as threats to Iran’s sovereignty. We call for the release of all detained cyber-dissidents.”
Another online journalist, Mojtaba Lotfi, was arrested on 8 October after “posting a sermon by a well-known opponent of Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei”.
Since Ms Gholami’s arrest, the publication of the Revolutionary Guards has printed an article calling the internet “a tool of subversion” and accusing the US of attacking the “opinions of young Iranians and the world population” with the help of CNN, BBC, Fox News, Washington Post, New York Times, Yahoo, and Google.
I wonder how the BBC feels about being labeled a tool of American interests.
A bill now before the Iranian parliament would make creation of websites promoting “corruption, prostitution or apostasy” a capital offence.
[...] IRAN ARRESTS two cyber-journalists …. [...]