Grave concern for detained Iranian journalists

Reporters Without Borders express grave concern over the well-being of detained Iranian journalists and report an increase in “violent treatment of Iranian prisoners in recent months.”

Reporters Without Borders report that Issa Saharkhiz, Kouhyar Goudarzi and Hossein Ronaghi Maleki are three detained journalists who are suffering from health complications and need immediate medical attention.

The press rights organization writes: “In the Islamic Republic prisons, the basic rights of journalists and bloggers are violated and Islamic Republic officials are responsible for the lives of these detainees.”

Kouhyar Goudarzi is a member of Iran’s Human Rights Reporters and was arrested last December in the government crackdown on Iran’s election protesters.

Prison officials have informed his mother that he has gone on a hunger strike and transferred to the hospital for the deterioration of his health.

Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, human rights activists and web writer, was also arrested last December.

Maleki, whose arrest and imprisonment was kept silent for weeks, is accused of “use and production of internet proxies and hosting human rights websites” amongst other charges.

Issa Saharkhiz, editor-in-chief of a number of reformist publications, has been recently transferred to the notorious Rejai Prison in Karaj. He suffers from grave heart complications.

Reporters Without Borders reports that a number of political prisoners such as Ahamd Zeyabadi and Massoud Bastani have also been taken to Rejai Prison where they are kept together with a general crowd of prisoners and are “harrassed on a daily basis.”