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Iran
Focus
 London,
May 04 – The international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
accused hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of being a "predator" of press
freedoms.
The watchdog, in its 2006 annual report for press freedom, said that the
"very exclusive club" of predators of press freedom expanded in
2005 to include Ahmadinejad.
RSF once again described Iran
as "the Middle East’s biggest prison
for journalists and bloggers". "Threats,
interrogation, summonses, arrests, and arbitrary detention are sharply
increasing", it said.
"Journalists can often only stay out of prison by paying very high
bail. The accession to power of hardline
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
has not improved the situation.
"In Iran,
prison often means torture as well", it added.
The watchdog said that Iran
had "total control" over news within its borders and was among
the world’s "most repressive regimes".
The international press freedoms group frequently criticises
media censorship and violation of journalists’ rights in Iran.
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