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Labour activist, Reza Shahabi remains in custody despite the payment of bail USD 100,000 by his family. Shahabi, who was detained on 12 June, was due to be released on 11 October but two months on he has still not been Evin prison. In protest to his circumstances, he began a dry hunger strike on 4 December. In an interview with the International campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Shahabi’s wife, Zohreh Rezaei, has expressed grave concern for his well being.
The Iranian authorities have arrested former journalist Mehran Faraji, and Reyhaneh Tabatabaei, Shargh newspaper’s political correspondent. Last week, four other workers from the reformist newspaper, Ahamd Gholami, Farzaneh Roostayi, Keyvan Mehrgan, Ali Khodabakhsh, were detained. Iran currently holds more journalists in prison that any other country in the world.
A group of Iranian exiled Iranian writers has written an open letter calling for the release of Julian Assange:
آزادی بیان مهمترین رکن یک جامعهی دموکراتیک
آزادی بیان دستآورد سالها مبارزهی آزادیخواهان جهان است. دولتهای کشورهای پیشرفته و دموکراتیک جهان نمیتوانند از یاد ببرند که آن چه امروز در اختیار دارند، حاصل مستقیم تلاش کسانی است که علیه سانسور و خفقان جان خود را در این راه گذاشتهاند. دولتهای دموکراتیک جهان نمیتوانند انکار کنند که حمایت آنها از سانسور، هم بر خلاف اعلامیهی جهانی حقوق بشر است، هم تأییدی است آشکار بر سرکوب آزادی بیان و هم تثبیتی است شرمآور بر نظامهای دیکتاتوری در کشورهای دیگر جهان.
ما نویسندگان ایرانی که به خاطر مخالفت با هر گونه سانسور سالهای بسیاری است در تبعید هستیم و آزادی بیان را از مهمترین ارکان یک جامعهی دموکراتیک میدانیم، بازداشت آقای جولین آسانژ و هر توطئهای را محکوم میکنیم و خواستار آزادی او و رفع هر گونه محدودیتی در راه انتشار سایت ویکی لیکس هستیم.*
خسرو باقرپور، روشنک بیگناه، کوشیار پارسی، فریدون تنکابنی، ملیحه تیرهگل، نسیم خاکسار، جلیل دوستخواه، حسین دولتآبادی، محمد ربوبی، سهراب رحیمی، ناصر زراعتی، علیرضا زرین، اکبر سردوزامی، فرج سرکوهی، اسد سیف، عباس شکری، بهروز شیدا، شیما کلباسی، منصور کوشان، محمود کویر، هادی کیکاووسی، رباب محب، عباس معروفی، پرتو نوریعلا، علی نگهبان، حسین نوشآذر، محمدرضا نیکفر، سعید هنرمند،
Freedom of expression is the achievement of seekers of freedom across the world after many years of struggle. The governments of developed and democratic countries of the world cannot forget that what they have today is the direct result of the endeavours of those who have given their lives in their fight against suppression and censorship. The democratic governments of the world cannot deny that their support for censorship is against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a blatant approval of the suppression of the freedom of expression, as well as a shameful affirmation of the dictatorial regimes of the world.
We, the Iranian writers living in exile for many years due to our opposition to every form of censorship, believe freedom of expression is one of the most important pillars of a democratic society, condemn Mr Julian Assange’s arrest and any form of conspiracy, and demand his release as well as the lifting of any ban for the publication of the Wikileaks website.
Khosrow Bagherpor, Rooshanak Bigonah, Hossein Dolatabadi, Jalil Dustkhah, Saeed Honarmand, Sheema Kalbasi, Mahmoud Kavir, Hadi Kekawosi, Nasim Khaksar, Mansour Koushan, Abbas Maroufi, Robab Moheb, Ali Negahban, Mohammad Reza Nikfar, Partou Nouriala, Hossein Noushazar, Koushiar Parsi, Sohrab Rahimi, Mohammad Rubobi, Akbar Sardozami, Faraj Sarkohi, Asad Seif, Behrouz Sheida, Abbas Shokri, Malihe Tiregol, Fereidon Tonokaboni, Ali Reza Zarin, Naser Zeraati.
Security authorities raided into the office of reformist newspaper Shargh on 7 December and detained journalists Keyvan Mehregan, Farzaneh Roostayi and Ahamad Gholami, along with chief editor Ali Khodabakhsh. According to reformist website Kaleme, the authorities also physically checked the staff’s mobile phones. The raid coincided with national student day which brought student protests across university campuses in the country.