Iranian Crackdown on Journalists and Media Condemned

Stop Fundamentalism – Reporters Without Borders slammed Iran for what it called the “Islamic Republic’s continuing serious violations of rights of journalists and those who defend freedom of information.”

The group said that human rights activists have been jailed and received harsh long term prison sentences in recent days. 

Abdolfattah Soltani received a notification yesterday that the Tehran revolutionary court has sentenced him to 18 years in prison and a 20 year ban of practicing law.  Mr. Soltani was a close affiliate of Nobel peace prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, and a founder of Iran’s Center for Human Rights Defenders.

Also Narges Mohammadi, a woman journalist and the spokesperson for the Human Rights Defenders has received six years in prison.  She is also Ebadi’s colleague.