British minister condemns arrest of journalists in Iran

British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt has condemned the multiple arrests of journalists in Iran for co-operation with western media, adding that he is deeply concerned for them. Iranian security forces arrested more than a dozen journalists on January 26, 27 and 28.  The arrests were co-ordinated with reports that five publications in Tehran were simultaneously raided.   Reacting to reports of the arrests, which have taken place as Iran prepares for its Presidential elections, Alistair Burt said: “These targeted arrests are part of a deliberate attempt by the Iranian authorities to clamp down on freedom of speech and independent voices in the country. I have repeatedly expressed my concerns about the Iranian regime’s treatment of journalists and independent media.” The Minister added that the UK has long-standing concerns about the judicial and detention process in Iran and the regime’s use of spurious charges against its own citizens. “I call on the Iranian government to release all of the journalists it has wrongly arrested and to stop its campaign of intimidation and harassment against independent voices in Iran,” Alistair Burt concluded.