February 6, 2008
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
today called Tuesday the Iranian government to
overturn the death sentence handed down against
Kurdish journalist Adnan Hassanpour, who has been
detained for over a year and convicted of spying.
“We believe that Mr. Hassanpour was targeted because
of his writing on Kurdish issues for the weekly
Asou,www.ekurd.net
which was banned by the
ministry of culture and Islamic orientation in
August 2005, and his contributions to foreign media,
including Voice of America and Radio Farda,” IFJ
General Secretary Aidan White said in a letter to
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, who is head of the
judiciary.
The IFJ has written the letter to urge the
government to overturn the death sentence against
Hassanpour. While his conviction on charges of
“subversive activities against national security,
“espionage” and “separatist propaganda” was not
linked to his writings, the IFJ fears that they were
motivated by his outspoken writing and reporting.
The IFJ has no information that Hassanpour was
involved in any espionage. |
Kurdish journalists
Adnan Hassanpur sentenced to death
by the Iranian Islamic regime
عدنان حسن پور |
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