Press watchdog demands probe into death of Iranian blogger

Omidreza MirSayafi

Reporters Without Borders urged the Islamic Republic to establish an independent and impartial commission to investigate the death of the young Iranian blogger Omidreza MirSayafi who died a year ago in prison.

Omidreza MirSayafi, a 28-year-old Iranian blogger, was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for "insulting Ayatollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei," the founder of the Islamic Republic and the current Supreme leader respectively.

On March 18, 2009, he died in prison under suspicious circumstances which immediately drew the reaction of human rights groups calling for an investigation into his death.

The Islamic Republic authorities have failed to respond to these demands even a year after the death of of MirSayafi.

According to Reporters Without Borders, “Mirsayafi’s death is emblematic of the tragedy affecting dissidents in Iran today,” who are continuously arrested on charges with "no legal basis."

The press watchdog also called for the "immediate release of the 50 or so journalists and bloggers who are currently detained in Iran just for expressing their views freely.”