Date : 03/10/2013
PARIS, Oct 3 (KUNA) -- International press freedom organisation, Reporters
Without Borders (RWB), on Thursday strongly condemned the Iranian government
for threats and intimidation against exiled journalists and their families
left behind in Iran.
"The intelligence ministry and Revolutionary Guards are using the
government-controlled national radio and TV broadcaster to orchestrate these
harassment campaigns from Tehran," Reporters Without Borders said in a
statement.
RWB directly pointed the finger at the Islamic Republic Of Iran
Broadcasting (IRIB) for managing a strategy of threats against exiled Iranian
press professionals, even though there are attempts to mask who is at the
origin of the campaign.
"Exiled journalists (are) threatened, pressured and defamed from inside
Iran," RWB said, outlining cases of this harassment and "reprisals" against
family members still in Iran.
"Independent news providers continue to be the target of threats and
harassment by the Iranian government despite conciliatory gestures by the new
president, the moderate conservative Hassan Rohani, on the international stage
and the release of some political prisoners ahead of last month's UN General
Assembly," RWB asserted.
"In particular, the intelligence ministry continues to put pressure on the
relatives in Iran of exiled journalists. Since June, the families of several
journalists working for media based abroad - such as Prague-based 'Radio
Farda' (a branch of 'Radio Free Europe') and Washington-based 'Voice of
America' - have been summoned and interrogated at length by intelligence
ministry officials," the press freedom body added.
"What the Iranian government is doing with journalists' families who remain
in Iran is tantamount to taking the families of European and US citizens
hostage," Reporters Without Borders added. "These attacks at a distance on
journalists outside the country need a firm reaction from the international
community. (end)
jk.mt
KUNA 031605 Oct 13NNNN