Tehran, YJC. The former Reform VP says that cooperation must be made on releasing political and journalist prisoners.
In a
meeting with Reformist journalists, Mohammadreza Aref said "Some of those
arrested had only service to their country in mind.”
He expressed
grief over how journalists have been treated in the past few years, adding "The
same problems that existed for the press also existed for universities, that
is, the same intensity of security observation existed and students were
limited in their activities.”
He asserted
"A puppet press would better not exist at all. The problem with our press is
that they are so fragile. We must not deprive the reporter of her courage.”
In the
sidelines of the meeting a representative journalist also provided comments on
the journalistic atmosphere of the country in the past few years and said "During
the Principalists' eight years, all were subject to threats and accusations,
from the leader of Reformation to the smallest members, that is, journalists. Those
journalists who found themselves on the safe side would accuse their coworkers
with espionage, anti-national security activities, and so on.”
The
journalists in the meeting asked Aref that equal situations be provided for
both Reformist and Principalist journalists where security observations are
eliminated.