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Alert

RSF calls for the release of jailed journalists, dissidents

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has called for the immediate release of 25 women journalists and feminist activists held in Tehran's Evin prison, who, on the eve of International Women's Day, began a hunger strike to protest against their continued detention.

Thirty-three women were arrested on 4 March 2007 while demonstrating outside the Revolutionary Islamic Tribunal in Tehran in protest against criminal charges brought against five activists who organised a women's demonstration in June 2006.

"We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the journalists and activists in custody in Evin prison," the worldwide press freedom organisation said. "These women have not broken any law. They simply exercised their right to demonstrate peacefully."

"After censoring websites which relay and defend the demands of women's rights organisations, the Iranian authorities have now deprived their main contributors of their freedom." It added.

Scores of journalists and feminist activists gathered outside the Tehran Revolutionary Islamic Tribunal on 4 March in solidarity with five women on trial for "damaging public order and security", "publicity against the Islamic Republic" and "taking part in an unauthorised demonstration."

The five are: journalists Nushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan and Fariba Davudi Mohajer and activists Shahla Entessari and Susan Tahmassebi. They were charged on 12 June 2006 for organising a peaceful demonstration in support of reform of laws which discriminate against women in Iran.

They were re-arrested when they left court alongside the demonstrators who had come to support them. A total of 33 women were arrested, 22 of them journalists.

They were put into isolation cells in Evin prison. Three of them who are sick, Parvin Ardalan (journalist), Fatemeh Govarayee (journalist) and Mahnaz Mohammadi (activist) have been refused access to necessary medical treatment.

Parastoo Dokoohaki (journalist and blogger), Saghar Laghayee (journalist and contributor to website meydaan.com), Saghie Laghayee (online journalist on meydaan.com), Niloufar Golkar (online journalist on we4change.com), Farideh Entessari (activist), Sara Loghmani (activist), Nahid Entessari (activist) and Parastoo Sarmadi (journalist) were released on bail on 7 March 2007 while the others began a hunger strike to protest against their continued detention.

Websites http://www.we4change,http://www.zenestan, http://www.kanonzananand http://www.meydaan,which employ many of the journalists arrested on 4 March, have been censored in Iran after launching online campaigns backing a change in women's status.

List of journalists currently held in Evin:

- Asieh Amini, journalist and blogger http://www.varesh.blogfa.com/)- Jila Bani Yaghoub, journalist ("Sarmayeh" and http://www.irwomen.com/)- Mahbubeb Abbasgholizadeh, journalist
- Mahbubeh Hosseinzadeh, journalist and blogger http://www.kharzar.blogfa.com/)- Zara Amjadian, online journalist http://www.we4change.com)- Mariam Hossein Khah, online journalist http://www.we4change.com)- Jelveh Javaheri, online journalist http://www.we4change.com)- Zeinab Peyghambarzadeh, journalist and blogger
- Maryam Mirza, journalist and blogger
- Nahid Keshavarz, online journalist http://www.we4change.comand http://www.zenestan.com)- Nasrin Afzali, journalist and blogger
- Elnaz Ansari, online journalist http://www.we4change.comand http://www.zenestan.com)- Fatemeh Govarayee, journalist
- Minoo Mortezayee, journalist
- Nushin Ahmadi Khorasani, journalist
- Parvin Ardalan, journalist
- Nahid Jafari, online journalist http://www.we4change.com)- Shadi Sadr, journalist and lawyer

[Editor's note: Of the 33 women arrested on 4 March, only Shadi Sadr, Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh and Jila Bani Yaghoub remain in prison at the time of posting.]