Security forces raid Shargh Newspaper, arrest 3 journalists

The Green Voice of Freedom: Iranian Security force have raided the office of popular reformist daily, Shargh Newspaper, and arrested four people after beating up some of the journalists present in the building.

According to the Hammihan website, a few hours ago, security forces entered the Shargh’s office and beat up some of the journalists working at the daily. The forces also arrested Editor-in-chief Ahmad Gholami, editor of the International Service Farzaneh Roustaei and editor of the Political Service of Shargh newspaper, Keyvan Mehregan. A fourth individual by the name of Ali Khodabakhsh, associated with the newspaper was also arrested. There is currently no further information on the detainees or the reasons behind the arrests.

The newspaper officially resumed its work in April, many months after it was banned by Iranian authorities.

Shargh was the most popular private-owned newspaper in Iran which began its work on 24 August 2003. It has since been banned three times. Its first ban was for publishing a letter to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei which was signed by reformist members of parliament who criticised the Guardian Council's mass disqualification of reformist figures from parliamentary elections.

The newspaper was banned once more in the summer of 2007 following an ruling by the Press Monitoring Committee.