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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Three foreign journalists released by Iran |
| 2009-11-08 |
| [Dawn] The Iranian authorities have released two German nationals and a Canadian arrested on the sidelines of rallies in Tehran this week, state-run IRNA news agency reported on Friday. IRNA, quoting Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jaffari Doulatabadi, said Iran was also examining the cases of AFP journalist Farhad Pouladi and a Danish journalist who were also detained after Wednesday's rallies. Fars news agency reported earlier that a Japanese and two Canadian journalists had been arrested along with an Iranian working for 'satellite channels,' because they were reporting without permission on the rallies. 'Three foreign nationals, two Germans and a Canadian, arrested on Wednesday have been freed,' the prosecutor said, according to IRNA. 'Other people arrested (Wednesday) were released on Friday, half of them women,' he said without giving further details. Concerning Pouladi, the prosecutor said he was waiting to examine a certain number of documents before taking a decision. 'We have asked the competent authorities to tell us about this journalist's work permit. When we get the reply, an adequate decision will be taken concerning him and the Danish national,' he said. Pouladi was detained on Wednesday morning by three security personnel, two in uniform and one in plain clothes, witnesses said. AFP has asked the Iranian authorities for the immediate release of Pouladi and is protesting his arrest and continued detention. 'We are worried for our journalist. We still don't know exactly where he is being held,' AFP chairman Pierre Louette said on Thursday. 'We strongly protest his detention and we demand that he be released without delay,' he added. Iran's ministry of culture and Islamic guidance, which regulates the activities of the foreign press, told AFP on Thursday that Pouladi would not be released before the weekend. 'I am told that he definitely will not be released today or tomorrow. His case is being considered. Maybe he will be released on Saturday or Sunday,' a ministry official said. The Danish union of journalists said earlier on Friday that a Danish journalism student had also been arrested in Iran after reporting on the rallies. Niels Krosgaard, a 31-year-old student, was freelancing in Iran for a project related to his studies, a union official said. The annual commemoration of the November 4, 1979 storming of the US embassy by Islamist students was overshadowed by a counter-demonstration by critics of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's June re-election.-- |
| Posted by:Fred |