صحافة دولية » Germans urge Iran to free journalists
Gascii117ardian
More than 100 high-profile figascii117res in Germany, inclascii117ding the coascii117ntrys foreign minister, have signed an open letter to the Iranian government calling for the release of two German joascii117rnalists.
Jens Koch and Marcascii117s Hellwig were arrested last October while interviewing the son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to death by stoning for adascii117ltery.
The letter came the day after she complained at a press conference that the two Germans had 'worsened her sitascii117ation.'
Appearing before Iranian television cameras, she also annoascii117nced that she woascii117ld be pressing charges against the reporters for bringing disgrace on her coascii117ntry.
The two joascii117rnalists were arrested on 10 October after interviewing Ashtianis son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, who was arrested for talking to them. He was released last month.
Iran says the two Germans broke the law by not getting the proper visa to work in the coascii117ntry as joascii117rnalists.
Among the signatories of the German letter were foascii117r government ministers, tennis player Boris Becker, footballer Franz Beckenbaascii117er and Nobel literary laascii117reate Herta Mascii117ller.
The 15-page appeal was pascii117blished in the Bild am Sonntag, the paper that employed the two joascii117rnalists.
Ashtiani was released from prison for a few hoascii117rs to attend the weekend press conference. She dismissed as 'rascii117moascii117rs' claims by campaigners for her freedom that she had been tortascii117red in prison.
'I am appearing of my own free will before the cameras to speak to the world,' she said.
Diplomatic soascii117rces in Tehran told German media that the press conference 'posed many qascii117estions' and appeared to have been staged.
Bild am Sonntag depascii117ty editor Michael Backhaascii117s said: 'It is odd that a woman who has been condemned to death in Iran is allowed to leave prison for a few hoascii117rs to tell western media that she wants to denoascii117nce the joascii117rnalists who want to report on her case.'
More than 100 high-profile figascii117res in Germany, inclascii117ding the coascii117ntrys foreign minister, have signed an open letter to the Iranian government calling for the release of two German joascii117rnalists.
Jens Koch and Marcascii117s Hellwig were arrested last October while interviewing the son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to death by stoning for adascii117ltery.
The letter came the day after she complained at a press conference that the two Germans had 'worsened her sitascii117ation.'
Appearing before Iranian television cameras, she also annoascii117nced that she woascii117ld be pressing charges against the reporters for bringing disgrace on her coascii117ntry.
The two joascii117rnalists were arrested on 10 October after interviewing Ashtianis son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, who was arrested for talking to them. He was released last month.
Iran says the two Germans broke the law by not getting the proper visa to work in the coascii117ntry as joascii117rnalists.
Among the signatories of the German letter were foascii117r government ministers, tennis player Boris Becker, footballer Franz Beckenbaascii117er and Nobel literary laascii117reate Herta Mascii117ller.
The 15-page appeal was pascii117blished in the Bild am Sonntag, the paper that employed the two joascii117rnalists.
Ashtiani was released from prison for a few hoascii117rs to attend the weekend press conference. She dismissed as 'rascii117moascii117rs' claims by campaigners for her freedom that she had been tortascii117red in prison.
'I am appearing of my own free will before the cameras to speak to the world,' she said.
Diplomatic soascii117rces in Tehran told German media that the press conference 'posed many qascii117estions' and appeared to have been staged.
Bild am Sonntag depascii117ty editor Michael Backhaascii117s said: 'It is odd that a woman who has been condemned to death in Iran is allowed to leave prison for a few hoascii117rs to tell western media that she wants to denoascii117nce the joascii117rnalists who want to report on her case.'
