Press freedom group: Iran media crackdown 1 of world’s most severe; 90 arrests in 2009

Watchdog: Iran arrested 90 journalists in 2009

CAIRO — An international press freedom watchdog accused Iran of one of the world’s most severe crackdowns on journalists with more than 90 reporters arrested last year.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in its annual report on press freedoms released Tuesday that Iran is still holding at least 23 writers and editors, second only to China in the number of journalists detained.

Iran “saw one of the most vicious and widespread crackdowns on the press in recent memory,” said the report. It added that the crackdown intensified following the disputed June presidential election.

The report said China holds 24 journalists in its jails.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, the press freedom group notes that government agencies continue to enforce heavy-handed press laws, including harassment through courts.

The report said there are increasing efforts by Middle East governments to stifle free information through Internet, especially monitoring and harassing bloggers.

It quoted Egyptian activists as saying that “Internet police” are monitoring digital traffic and sharing it among state security agencies.

The report noted a sharp fall in fatalities of media workers in Iraq last year consistent with an overall drop in violence but complained of increasing government harassment and assault even in the relatively secure Kurdish region. Four Iraqi journalists were killed in 2009 compared with 11 journalists killed in 2008 because of their work. That was down considerably from 32 killed in 2007.

The committee called Yemen “one of the most repressive countries in the region for the press.” It mentioned news suppression, print restrictions, and distribution control.

In Israel, the committee reported press restrictions during last year’s offensive in Gaza, largely denying access to journalists to cover the war.

The report also mentioned various violations of freedom of press in Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.