41 Journalists Jailed in Iran

Watchdog Report: 41 Journalists Jailed in Iran
By VOA News
12-July-2009

The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders says it is concerned by what it calls the growing repression of journalists and cyber-dissidents in Iran.

In a report issued Sunday, the RSF (known by the French acronym for Reporters Sans Frontieres) announced the detention of five more journalists. RSF says 41 journalists are currently imprisoned in Iran a month after the country's contested election.

RSF says Iran is currently the world's biggest prison for journalists, and is becoming the world's most dangerous place for them to operate.

RSF says the recently-detained journalists include photographers Majid Saidi and Tohid Bighi, blogger Henghameh Shahidi, and journalists Somaieh Nosrati and Said Matinpour.

According to RSF, four of the five are being held in secret locations with no information about their condition being released to their families or legal representatives.