No news of Akbar Ganji for the past 25 days

Noting that Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji has not been allowed any visits since his return to Evin prison from hospital on 3 September, Reporters Without Borders today voiced concern and outrage about the behaviour of the Iranian authorities towards him and their failure to keep their promises. “Ganji seems to have been placed in total solitary confinement in a special section of Evin to which only the Revolutionary Guards have access,” the press freedom organisation said. “Shutting him away like this is a flagrant violation of Iranian law, which explicitly says detainees may receive visits from their relatives and lawyers. The sole aim of the prison authorities seems to be to break Ganji completely.” Reporters Without Borders added: “ We once again condemn of the failure of senior Iranian officials to respect their undertakings towards Ganji and his family. We have always supported negotiations with the precise objective of obtaining his release. Now, faced by the silence coming from the judicial authorities, we are resolved to press on with our campaign. The lack of any news is particularly worrying.” Reached by telephone, Ganji's wife, Massoumeh Shafii, said she was also very worried by the lack of news and the fact that she has not been able to visit him since 26 August. Ganji lost at least 25 kilos in the course of a hunger which he continued for more than two months. After ending the hunger strike on 22 August, he was allowed only two weeks to recover in hospital before being sent back to prison on 3 September. Over 15 years ago, Reporters without Borders created its "Sponsorship Programme" and called upon the international media to select and support an imprisoned journalist. More than two hundreds news staffs around the globe are thus sponsoring colleagues by regularly petitioning authorities for their release and by publicising their situations so that their cases will not be forgotten. Currently, Akbar Ganji is sponsored by Le Devoir, Nice-Matin, La Montagne