Call to both second-round candidates to make urgent press freedom reforms and prisoner releases

Reporters Without Borders has called on the two second-round candidates in Iran's presidential poll to, if elected, make urgent and essential press freedom reforms and release five journalists and three webloggers still in jail. "Freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed in this country as long as imprisoning journalists is a systematic practice. That is why the future president must reform the press so as to decriminalise press offences and guarantee free expression without discrimination by language, religion or political opinion", said the organisation. "On the eve of the second round, we are launching a final appeal to the candidates, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is presenting himself as the candidate of political moderation and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has already had dealings with journalists through Islamic student bodies, to agree to promote press freedom." "Whoever is elected must take immediate steps to put an end to the impunity that currently reigns in cases of murder and torture of many professionals." He should also ensure that those responsible for the death of three Iranian journalists and an Iranian-Canadian photographer should be put on trial. He should authorise the reopening of banned newspapers and halt filtering of online news websites," the organisation added. Reporters Without Borders has learned that Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji, imprisoned since 22 April 2000 for his revelations about the murders of political opposition figures and intellectuals at the end of 1998, is continuing a hunger strike. "He is physically very weakened and needs to be hospitalised. The Iranian government has tried to put a common-law prisoner in his cell and spread the rumour that he has died," the organisation said, condemning these "outrageous acts" and calling on the future president "to put an end to these degrading practices." Reporters Without Borders said it was all the more concerned about the post-election situation because the two candidates hade never shown the slightest tolerance to journalists. "Akbar Rafsanjani and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have both been accused of ordered the murder of political opponents and intellectuals in the 1990s. When they were questioned recently about Akbar Ganji's recall to prison they both refused to comment, while issuing a warning to those 'who break the law in the Islamic Republic'