Omid Habibinia’s speech in side session of the UN Human Rights High Council, 15th Sessions,September 28, 2010, Geneva
In Iran’s recent history, journalism and freedom of expression has always faced terror
During last year the Regime of Islamic Republic , has added the bloodiest page to its history of repressing journalism and freedom of expression. This can be compared to the Military coup that overthrow Mohammad Mosdegh’s democratically elected government, or the killing and repression of intellectuals and opponents in 80’s by both of the two wings in the Islamic Republic.
Since Iran’s last election “show”, many intellectuals, journalists, bloggers, human rights activists, political activists, women rights activists, religious minorities, ethnic minorities, and opposition groups were arrested, tortured, sexually abused, or vanished.
At least 150 people were killed in the streets during their peaceful demonstrations, some of them shoot dead by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRG) or by the regime’s Intelligent Services’ snippers. The snipers aimed people’s hurt or head and killed them instantly.
Tens of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, hide, or flee the country and leave their homes and belongings behind.
Tens of political prisoners were sentenced to death and many of them were executed. The Judiciary Brach of the Regime concentrated on implementing harsh laws, regulations, and punishments, in order to transmit fear among the journalists, and activists.
The intention of the Regime by creating another 80’s type social/political environment, was to unify the establishment to continue ruling. This only could be accomplished by repressing and killing people, opponents, and destroy the social movement that has been grown during last decade.
Here, my goal is to provide you a clear vision about the freedom of speech and journalism in Iran by looking at major points over the last year:
A. Freedom of Expression, General View
• The Islamic Republic of Iran two years prior to the last election “show” of June 2009, was preparing itself to repress the people and their opponents
.
• IRG and Basij (Militia Army) were preparing themselves by performing anti riot maneuvers which some were aimed at forcibly confronting protesters and armed insurrection
.
• Long before the election “show”, coordination between the different Regime’s branches and organizations (intelligence, judicial, and propaganda) was planned to repress any opposition
.
• Intelligence services of IRG, Police, as well as the Ministry of Intelligence, and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran (MISIRI) had a list of more than 4,000 names including political/social activists, active or passive opponents, and journalists whom were arrested by these intelligence services long before ending the election “show
”.
• Between June and September 2009, in Tehran alone, more than a thousand people were arrested, including journalists, bloggers, intellectuals, artists, students, female social and political activists as well as many others that were arrested in the street demonstration in spring and summer of the same year. Many of these people were in captivity without being charged or interviewed by the investigators for several months. People were only released after many of the families exhibited public pressure by means of large gatherings on the Judicial System. Few were released on excessive bail. Among these detainees, the ones that have had previous arrests or their names were on government’s black list due to affiliation with anti government, political or social activities, had a more dangerous situation in the prison system than others
.
• Some of these detainees had a history of arrests and support of political opponents during the 80’s. Therefore; they were savagely tortured to illicit forced confessions against their beliefs and to accuse others (the students and the left political activists) of being atheists or being anti Islamic Regime. According to Judicial Law of Islamic Republic of Iran, both of these accusations carry a sentence of death
.
• Some of the detainees were under a great deal of emotional and physical tortures, including rape and sexual abuse, while others that even did not vote in the last election were facing worse tortures
.
• In several cases, spouse or significant other of the journalist and the activist were arrested and kept as a hostage to force the journalist or activist to surrender herself/himself. In several cases the hostage were kept after the arrest of the person and even were tortured to force to illicit yet another false confession
.
• In several cases, the tortures were caused severe emotional and physical damages including paralysis, heart attach, traumatic stress disorders, and at least 15 reported deaths due to torture
.
• In addition, there is no news of the fate of dozens of detainees that were arrested in the street protests or at their homes after the election show.
.
• In addition to the death penalty for certain political and social activists including Kurdish teacher Farzad Kamangar, others that were arrested on Ashoora were charged with waging war against Allah and heresy
.
• In the recent months, the detention of ethnic and religious minorities has intensified and dozens of Baha’i leaders, along with many of the Christians, Sunnis, or followers of other religious groups including Islamic Sufi (Daravish Gonabadi) were arrested in the company with other members of the left party. There is no information available about their whereabouts
.
• While repressing the protest movement, the government simultaneously repressed the media by slowing down, and filtering the internet to stop people from accessing news and information about current events. Jamming of satellite transmission was also under taken
.
• On one hand, Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG), largely attached the internet websites, even oppositions’ e-mails and Facebook pages to disrupt journalists’ and activists’ efforts to communicate with people. On the other hand, IRG altered the protest movement and the news coverage (both locally and internationally) by publishing false news via the media against the movement.
B. Status of Journalists and Media:
• From the early morning of election show in the past year until now, close to 200 Iranian journalists and several foreign journalists has been arrested
.
• The names of several journalist has been black listed, only because they were doing their jobs under the control and supervision of the Iran's Islamic Regime
.
• Now nearly 50 journalists are detained and well over a hundred has been temporarily out on bail (sometimes over half million euros) until their court date and sentencing
.
• Most of these journalists were tortured and force to confess against themselves and others.
• The Regime’s interrogators want the journalists to admit that they have received money from the intelligent services of countries like United Staes, United Kingdom, and Israel, to conspire to overthrow the Regime. Also to admit that they have had unlawful sexual relationship with others, especially with prominent opponents or some former reformers
.
• Many of these detainees (journalists) like Ahmad Zeid-Abadi, Eisa Saharkhiz, Bahman Ahmadi Amooee, Emad-adin Baghi, Abolfazl Abedini, Masoud Bastani, Ahmadreza Tajik, and Hengameh Shahidi are living in very poor physical conditions and are at serious health risk. Any mention or objection to the torture results in an escalation in the level of violence by the interrogators. For instance, after the publicized sexual abuse of one of the journalists by the integrators, his sister and family were arrested, insulted, threatened, and tortured. He himself were subjected to more torture and pressure, including transfer to solitary confinement
.
• Since last year, over fifty newspapers and magazines have been banned, dozens of internet websites have been filtered out, and hundreds of blogs have also been blocked
.
• Now more than fifty Iranian journalists are hiding inside the country. Dozens of others are trying to flee the country due to the increase pressure, unemployment due to being placed on the black list.
• Since 22 nd of Khordad, al least 150 Iranian journalists have fled Iran. Half of them still are living under threats from Iranian Intelligence service
.
• Since last year, many filmmakers, documentary filmmakers, writers, artists, and intellectuals were arrested or have been banned from work. Many of these people have been banned from leaving the country
.
• There is a list including more than 200 people that have been banned from working in the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB
).
• Publications like music albums are facing broader restriction by implementing widespread censorship.
C. Current Outlook:
• While in Iran the freedom of speech and press are seriously endangered by the Regime, outside of Iran the journalists and social/political activists are pressured or threatened secretly or openly by both Iranian parties (conservatives and reformists
).
• Even abroad, freedom of speech for Iranian journalists is a challenge of staying independent, true to their professional values, and without benefit of associating with either parties’s media (reformists and conservative media
).
• While many social and human rights activists like Shiva Nazarahari are facing unprecedented sentencing, other journalists are also facing planned and organized attacks from the Regime’s repression machine
.
• As bad as the journalistic environment has been in Iran due to censorship in the Regime controlled media by both parties, It is now worse due to near extinction of true unbiased journalism in Iran. It is truly the darkest time of journalism in Iran. Almost everyday, there is news of new assets, tortures, and escapes of journalists
.
• Today the question is not the obvious censorship that is being forcefully imposed to Iranian journalists. The question is to be or not to be, death or life.
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