The Prince Claus Fund has been deeply concerned with the situation Maziar Bahari was in. Maziar is a documentary film maker the Prince Claus Fund has worked with on several occasions who is also a reporter for Newsweek. He was arrested on the 21st of June 2009 and he was charged with espionage which can lead to a death sentence when one is convicted in Iran. In October 2009 he has been released on bail of 300.000 dollars and he was able to get out of the country to London where his pregnant wife was waiting for him to return to her. We wish Maziar and his wife the best of luck for the near and far future.
Read more on http://www.nytimes.com
Maziar Bahari is also co-editor of the Prince Claus Fund Library Publication Transit Teheran.
In a statement, NEWSWEEK magazine has strongly condemned the detention of Bahari and called for him to be released immediately. According to the statement, "His coverage of Iran, for NEWSWEEK and other outlets, has always been fair and nuanced, and has given full weight to all sides of the issues. He has always worked well with different administrations in Tehran, including the current one."
The following comes from an update that was sent per email by Nisid Hajari, nephew of Maziar Bahari.
'I am Maziar Bahari's nephew; I live in Australia.
Maziar has been arrested since 21st of June 2009. They have taken his
laptop as well as a number of his video tapes. Apparently, they have
treated him nicely and have not made a mess and/or any other inappropriate behaviour.
According to himself, "...in case I'll have problems in Iran. I need as much publicity as possible.'
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is fighting for the release of Iranian Prisoners. On their site they have provided examples of letters or emails of protest that one can send to demand the immediate release of a prisoner. Check the website of Amnesty for more information and help them in their battle to free political prisoners. http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/21222/
Reporters without Borders
Reporters without Borders, an organisation that in various ways fights for the freedom of press world wide, sent out a press release in which they address the situation in Iran.
Since the disputed election, at least 25 journalists who were arrested remain in prison. With a total of 33 journalists in prison, Iran is the country with the most journalists in jail, following China and Cuba.
From the press release: 'What is going on in the silence of Evin prison?
Nothing and no-one comes out of Iran’s prisons. Iranians line up at the gates of the prison, looking for a name, searching for relatives of whom they have had no news. The same desperate search is replicated in all the cities of the country. The list of 700 names posted at the entrance to Evin jail is incomplete. Families are systematically refused the right to see their disappeared loves ones. The doors stay closed. Some 150 Iranian lawyers on 22 June appealed to the authorities for the release of those arrested and calling at least for the right of access to the prison for their lawyers.
Read the whole press release by Reporters without Borders
For the Prince Claus Fund Freedom of Speech is of great value, for this reason amongst others we feel the situation in Iran is very disturbing.
http://freemaziarbahari.org
Tthe online petition that was there to support Maziar at http://www.ipetitions.com
On the site of Committee to protect Journalists:
http://cpj.org/2009
A petition by film makers (in Dutch): http://www.idfa.nl
http://www.rsf.org/-Anglais-.html
1998 Prince Claus Laureate Rakshani Bani Etemad, film maker from Iran, makes a statement on YouTube on behalf of the documentary film makers in Iran on the difficult situation Check the film on YouTube
