TEHRAN The Association of Iranian Journalists (AIJ) called on Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to give imprisoned journalists the right to a "due process of law" and to see to their release.
In a letter, a copy of which reached IRNA, the association reiterated the loss of the journalists' job security, a severe blow to this segment of society in recent months.
"In recent months, Tehran's judicial courts have issued summons to columnists while the provisions of the Press Law which was approved 15 years ago do not empower them to do so," the letter read in part.
The law further stipulates that articles for which the defendants have been charged were published before the amendments to the Press Law were approved in April and which should have no retroactive effect on those articles.
Among journalists who have been indicted and jailed under the new Press Law are Akbar Ganji, Mohammad Qouchani and Ahmad Zeidabadi.
The Fifth Majlis (Parliament), in its waning days, passed amendments to the then Press Law which expanded grounds on which journalists could be held accountable.
Moves by the new reformist-dominated Majlis to roll back those restrictions were halted by Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who said such amendments to the current Press Law are not in the interest of the nation.
(IRNA)