Iranian journalist jailed

Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), the press freedom association, has called for the release of journalist Abbas Kakavand who was imprisoned this week for allegedly spreading false news in the articles he wrote for the website gooya.com.

Mr Kakavand was jailed because his articles criticised the conservative leaders of Iran for alleged receipt of political payments and corruption.

RSF, which campaigns for press freedom internationally, described Mr Kakavand's imprisonment as 'flagrant evidence of the systematic violation of press freedom in Iran'.

While the internet in Iran is quickly growing as a news source, it also encounters many obstacles from the Iranian regime. These include the censorship of websites considered to be un-Islamic as well as restrictions placed on online journalists.

RSF is due to release the report 'The internet under surveillance' on 22 June, which will fully explore the control of online content carried out by the Iranian authorities.

More news on dotJournalism:
Seven years in jail for web journalist
Journalists fight French bill

See also:
Reporters Sans Frontieres: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=1057

• Story update - 12 June 2004: Abbas Kakavand was released this morning on bail of 100 million rials, according to student news agency ISNA.

See also:
IranMania: http://www.iranmania.com/news/120604a.asp

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