In a letter addressed to the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmood Hashemi-Sharoudi, the Paris-based RSF said the jailing of Mr. Qabel "is new evidence that the authorities will not put an end to arrest of journalists in 2002".

"Moreover, we are worried about the plight of seven journalists whose trial is to begin soon ", declared Mr.Robert Ménard, General Secretary of RSF, requesting the release of Mr. Qabel "along with the seventeen other journalists who are currently imprisoned in Iran".

AIJA reminded that it was on orders of Mr. Khameneh’i that the Iranian Judiciary shut down more than fifty publications, placed a dozen of prominent journalists behind bars and silenced many others.

According to the information collected by RSF, Ahmad Qabel was arrested on 31 December 2001, upon orders of the Special Court for the Clergy.

A journalist for Hayat-é-No, Ahmad Gabel also wrote editorials in many reformist publications and regularly had interviews with foreign radio stations. He is known for his strong criticism of the conservatives, most notably of Ali Khameneh’i, whom, in an interview with the Radio Free Europe, he had accused of personally conducting the recent attacks and campaign mounted by the Judiciary against the reformists-dominated Majles.

"In addition, on 8 January, behind closed doors, the trial of seven more journalists will begin: Reza Alijani, Ezatollah Sahhabi, Hoda Saber, Said Madani, Ahmad Zeid-Abadi (Iran-é-Farda), Taqi Rahmani (Omid-é-Zangan), and Ali-Reza Raja'ï (Asr-é-Azadegan). They are accused of "blasphemy", which is punishable by death, and four of the journalists are in prison. As of yet, their lawyers have not received access to their files", RSF said in its statement.