Reporters Without Borders issued a statement on April 26th describing
Iran as one of the world’s five major prisons for media activists and placed
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the list of enemies of press freedom.
“…
Iran imprisons journalists arbitrarily by the dozens on the pretext of
combatting ‘obscenity’ or threats to national security. Prison conditions are
so bad that many of them go on hunger strike in protest. The Iranian regime
imposes inhuman and medieval punishments such as flogging,” the report reads in
part.
Iran
continues to carry out in humane and medieval
punishments, such as lashings, the report added. In 2016 at least four
journalists were sentenced to lashings by the judiciary.
“…Iran’s
Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, hold distinguished positions in the ranks of
RSF’s press freedom predators,” the report continued.
Iran
is ranked by RWB as 165th amongst 180 countries on the press
freedom index. Prior to this RWB issued another statement marking Iran’s 1979 anniversary
in February, saying with 30 journalists and citizen reporters behind bars, Iran
is considered one of the five major prisons for media activists.
The
apprehension and execution of a number of journalists in the first decade
following the 1979 revolution, “official executions” in the dark days and
eliminating intellectuals and journalists, parallel to abductions and street
executions, were amongst the first methods used by the Islamic Republic for
domestic crackdown and setting aside journalists RWB has referred to.
Furthermore,
Freedom House in its latest annual report on April 28th described
Iran as one of the 10 non-free countries in regards to press freedoms.
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