In celebration of World Press Freedom Day
Violations of Right of Free Press In Iran
Trnslation of the Summary of the annual report from IHRAG

On the occasion of International Press Day on May 3, Iranian Human Rights Activist Groups in Europe & North America has prepared a report regarding press condition in Iran in the past Iranian calender year of 1384 (March 21, 2005 to March 20, 2006).
It should be noted that due to restrictions imposed human rights organizations and other NGO's, in addition to press censureship in Iran, this report can not encompass all violations to the right of free press, but only to portray a very small section of the whole picture.
A short summary of these violations are:
1- Detention of journalists 14 cases
2- Interogation of journlists 28 cases
3- Summoning to security organizations and courts 59 cases
4- Court hearings held 56 cases
5- Sentences issued 25 cases
6- Beating of journalists 3 cases

7- Journalists Expelled 54 cases

8- Journals banned 13 cases

9- Websites closed 7 cases

10- Total monetary fine 52,500,000.00 Rls

11- Confiscation of properties 1 case

12- Barred from leaving the Country 2 cases

13- Whipping sentence executed 52 lashes
14- Banned from journalistic activities 10years and 6 months

15- Prison sentences issued 13 years and 3 months

The alarming violations of the rights of bloggers in this report is a clear indication of government's attemp to curb this blossoming journalistic activity in Iran.

Of 263 cases reported, these branches of government had the lion shares of violations:

1- Branch 76, Penal Court of Tehran Province: Judge M.R. Saremi 52 cases
2- Branch 1083, Penal Court of Tehran Province: Judge Hosseinian 28 cases
3- Branch 1, Revolution & Public Court, City of Sanandaj: Judge Amjadian 18 cases
4- Ministry of Culture & Islamic Guidance (MCIG) 13 cases
5- Press Control Committee, MCIG 13 cases
6- Branch 4, Revolution & Public Court, City of Sanandaj 12 cases
7- Branch 6, Prosecutor's Ofiice for Government Employees 8 cases
8- Iran Communication Organization 7 cases
9- Branch 5, Prosecutor's Ofiice for Government Employees 5 cases
10- Branch 3, Prosecutor's Ofiice for Government Employees 3 cases

These figures show that these widespread and continuous violations of the right of free press are not just willful acts a few individual elements, but their planing, organization, and execution could not have taken place without the the approval of highest authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran,

Additionally, due to the fact that not only demands of Human Rights and other international organizations to pursue the case of Zahra Kazemi( Iranian-Canadian journalist murdered in Evin Prison in 2003) were ignored again, but instead by imprisoninig Abdol-Fattah Soltani, one of the attornies of her family, the government of Islamic Republic of Iran confessed that there exist no possiblity of inevstigating her murder in Iran.

Iranian Human Rights Activist Groups in EU and North America (IHRAG)
Contact:
www.hriran.org
E-mail: IHRNENA@gmail.com / hiran@hiran.org
Phone: 1 - 514 - 365 9212 (Canada) or 46 -704-124-500 (Sweden)
Address: BOX 5047, 165 10 Hässelby, Sweden
Human Rights News from Iran: www.hriran.org