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Reporters Without Borders condemns the
death sentence for Kurdish journalists in Iran
24.7.2007
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July 24, 2007
Reporters Without Borders voiced deep concern on
Monday on learning that journalists Adnan Hassanpour
and Abdolvahed “Hiwa” Botimar
were sentenced to death
by a revolutionary tribunal in Mariwan, in Iran’s
Kurdish northwestern region, on 16 July.
“These death sentences are outrageous and shameful,”
the press freedom organisation said. “They show how
little Iran is bothered by international
humanitarian law. They also show how determined it
is to use every possible means to silence the most
outspoken journalists and human rights activists.”
Reporters Without Borders added: “We appeal to the
international community to ask Iran to reverse this
decision and to refrain from executing two men who
did nothing but exercise their right to inform their
fellow citizens. Iran is in the process of becoming
one of the world’s biggest prisons for journalists.”
Hassanpour worked for the magazine Asou, which has
been banned since August 2005 as a result of a
decision by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic
Guidance. He wrote about the very sensitive Kurdish
issue.
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Kurdish journalists
Adnan Hassanpur and Hiwa Botimar sentenced to death
by the Iranian Islamic regime |
At his trial, which was held behind closed doors, he
was found guilty of “activities subverting national
security” and “spying.” His interviews for foreign
news media including Voice of America were cited by
the prosecution. According to his family and one of
his lawyers, Sirvan Hosmandi, he was transferred to
Sanandaj prison on 18 July.
The charges on which Botimar, a contributor to Asou
and an active member of the environmental NGO
Sabzchia, was sentenced to death were not
immediately known.
Three other Kurdish journalists are currently in
prison in Iran. Ejlal Ghavani of Payam-e Mardom-e
Kurdestan, a weekly that was suspended in 2004, was
detained on 9 July of this year after being
convicted by a court in Sanandaj of “inciting the
population to revolt” and “activities against
national security.”
Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand, Payam-e Mardom-e
Kurdestan’s editor and the founder of a human rights
organisation, was arrested on 1 July and transferred
to Evin prison. He has not been officially charged.
Kaveh Javanmard of the weekly Karfto is currently
serving a two-year prison sentence. He was not
allowed access to a lawyer during his trial, which
took place behind closed doors.
With a total of eight journalists currently
detained, Iran continues to be the Middle East’s
biggest prison for the press and one of the world’s
ten most repressive countries as regards freedom of
expression in the media. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is on
the Reporters Without Borders list of the world’s 34
worst “press freedom predators.” Since he became
president in August 2005, the authorities have
cracked down hard on journalists. The situation is
especially fraught in the Kurdish northwest.
rsf org
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