"RSF currently knows of twenty seven journalists behind bard, with twenty one of them in an unknown place and their families particularly worried about their health", the organisation said in its latest report, calling on the Islamic republic Judiciary Head Ayatollah Mahmood Hashemi-Shahroodi to order the release of the detained journalists.

The families of most of these journalists have no information on their place of detention. Relatives of Reza Alijani of "Iran Farda", have not been allowed to visit him or to ask about his health since February 2001. The others are detained in Evin prison, Tehran, where the conditions of detention are very tough. The family of Hojjatoleslam Hassan Youssefi Echkevari, journalist of "Iran Farda", is concerned about his health because he is a diabetic. In jail since 5 August 2000, he has already fainted several times. The relatives of Ezzatollah Sahhabi of "Iran Farda", jailed for seven months, have told about psychological torture. This journalist, aged about 70, should be moved to another place of detention. Visits by his family as well as his lawyers are seldom authorised. Moreover, some journalists are subjected to ill-treatment in order to force them to "admit" to their "crimes" on national television, or to write letters stating that they "repent", the report said.

Of the twenty-seven, only eight journalists have been sentenced; the others are waiting for a judgement or a verdict. Mr. Hoda Saber, of "Iran Farda", has been detained for six months without any court hearing. Moreover, his sister was remanded in custody, on 11 July, for "refusing to cooperate" with the judiciary. At the beginning of June, the wife of Mr. Reza-Ra’is Toussi, jailed since March 2001, said that these arrests were "illegal" and that until now the prisoners have not had "the opportunity to defend themselves".

Despite the release of Mr. Morteza Firouzi, former editor-in-chief of "Iran News", and Mr. Hamid Na’ini, of "Peyam Emrouz" in July 2001, the arrests have not stopped. At the end of June, five students contributing to newspapers were imprisoned: Ali Fallaf and Babak Ghani-Pour of "Armaan", Mr.Morteza Taghi-Pour, Rouzbeh Chafii and Mohammad-Reza Shirvand of "Faryad". The latter three journalists were imprisoned for an article judged offensive to the Twelfth Imam.

Despite an acquittal, some journalists are still behind bars. Arrested in April 2001, Akbar Ganji, of "Sobh Emrouz", was sentenced on appeal to six months in jail. In June, a Court refused to release him after convicting him of a new set of charges. After being pardoned in February 2001, Mr.Masha’allah Shamsolva’ezin, of "Neshat" has not been released. Despite an acquittal in June 2001, Latif Safari of Neshat is still behind bars.