This week the Committee to Protect Journalists announced that 145 journalists were in prison in 2010. Iran and China led an ignominious list with each having 34 reporters behind bars.
We suspected, however, that Tehran may actually have claimed the gold medal for detentions. In March, Radio Free Europe's list of 74 journalists detained since the June 2009 Presidential election had 53 still in prison.
And while there have been subsequent releases on bail, there have also been subsequent seizures. So we turned to Arshama3's Blog, which has maintained a comprehensive list since autumn 2009.
We asked Arshama for an update and received this list. While further information is needed in some cases, it appears that more than 100 journalists are in prison today, with others facing a return to serve sentences that have been handed down.
Iranian Journalists
1. Adnan Hassanpour, Aso, arrested January 25, 2007
2. Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand, Payam-e Mardom, arrested July 1, 2007
3. Mojtaba Lotfi, freelance, arrested October 8, 2008
4. Hossein Derakhshan, freelance, Blogger, arrested November 2008, sentenced to 19.5 years in prison September 30, 2010
5. Nader Karimi Jooni, Jahan-e-Sanat, Sharq, Gozaresh, Fekr, Siasat-e Rooz, arrested December 2008
6. Ahmad Zaid-Abadi, freelance, arrested June 2009
7. Omid Salimi, Nesf e Jahan, arrested June 14, 2009
8. Kayvan Samimi, Nameh, arrested June 14, 2009, released on bail March 16, 2010, return to prison March 20, 2010
9. Saeed Laylaz, Sarmayeh, arrested June 17, 2009
10. Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, freelance, arrested June 19, 2009, 5 years in prison confirmed
11. Issa Sahar-Khiz, freelance, arrested July 3, 2009, 3 years in prison, 6 years occupational ban: September 27, 2010
12. Massoud Bastani, Farhikhtegan, Jomhoriyat, arrested July 5, 2009
13. Marjan Abdollahian, Hamshahri, arrested July 9, 2009
14. Saeed Matinpour, Yar Pag and Mouj Bidari, arrested July 12, 2009, sentenced to 8 years in prison
15. Reza Nourbakhsh, Farhikhtegan, arrested August 4, 2009
16. Mohammad Hossein Sohrabi Rad, Saham News, arrested September 2009
17. Mohammad Davari, Saham News, arrested September 9, 2009
18. Saeed Jalalifar, Committee of Human Rights Reporters, arrested December 2, 2009
19. Seyed Hossein Ronaghi Maleki (Babak Khorramdin), freelance, arrested December 13, 2009, sentenced to 15 years in prison
20. Kouhyar Goudarzi, Committee of Human Rights Reporters, arrested December 20, 2009
21. Mohammad Nourizad, freelance, Keyhan, arrested December 20, 2009, sentenced to 3.5 years in prison and 50 lashes, released on bail June 23, 2010, return to Evin August 2010
22. Emadeddin Baghi, freelance, arrested December 23, 2009, released on bail June 23, 2010, 7 years in prison, 5 years occupational ban: September 22, 2010, return to Evin December 5, 2010
23. Alireza Beheshti Shirazi, Kalameh Sabz, arrested December 23, 2009
24. Arvin Sedaghat Kish, Farhang va Ahang, arrested December 27, 2009
25. Khalil Darmanki, Asr Azadegan, Shargh, Etemad-e Melli, arrested December 27, 2009
26. Mostafa Izadi, Etemad-e Melli, arrested December 28, 2009
27. Badrossadat Mofidi, Iranian journalists Association, arrested December 29, 2009, released on bail June 6, 2010, sentenced to 6 years in prison, 5 years occupational ban August 3, 2010
28. Omid Montazeri, freelance, arrested December 30, 2009
29. Rouzbeh Karimi, Kargozaran, arrested January 2, 2010
30. Yadollah Eslami, Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz (Jaras), arrested January 4, 2010
31. Mostafa Dehghan, freelance, arrested January 4, 2010
32. Nilofar Laripour, Chelcheragh, arrested February 1, 2010
33. Ali Mohammad Eslampour, editor Navaye Vaght, Kermanshah, arrested February 3, 2010
34. Jamileh Darolshafaie, Etemad, arrested February 5, 2010
35. Naeemeh Doostdar, Jaam-e Jam, Hamshahri, arrested February 6, 2010
36. Hamid Mafi, Farhang-e Ashti, Etemad-e Melli, Kargozaran, arrested February 9, 2010, sentenced to 5 years in prison September 16, 2010
37. Mohammad Ghaznavian, freelance, human rights activist, arrested February 9, 2010
38. Fouad Sadeghi, chief editor website Ayandeh News, arrested February 10, 2010
39. Hengameh Shahidi, journalist and women’s rights activist, second arrest February 25, 2010, sentenced to 6.25 years in prison
40. Naghi Ahmadi Azar, 5 years in prison for "espionage against Armenia and in favour of Azarbaijan Republic"
41. Ali Anjam-Rouz, in Gilan, date of arrest unknown
42. Abolfazl Abedini Nasr, weekly Bahar Ahvaz, arrested March 3, 2010, sentenced to 11 years in prison
43. Houtan Abolfathi, freelance, arrested February 15, 2010
44. Ali Moazzami, Shargh, arrested March 8, 2010
45. Kambiz Nouruzi, Leiter von Association of Iranian journalists, arrested June 28, 2009, sentenced to 1 year in prison
46. Satyar Emami, no further data, arrested July 11, 2009
47. Reza Rafiee Foroshani, freelance, arrested June 26, 2009 / 5 years in prison for "espionage"
48. Ali Pirhasanlou, journalist and blogger "Alpar", arrested September 18, 2009
49. Alireza Rajai, no further data on arrest
50. Amanollah Shojaie, reporter and blogger, Bushehr, no further data on arrest
51. Behzad Basho, journalist and caricaturist, no further data on arrest
52. Esmail Hagh-Parast, Farhikhtegan, no further data on arrest
53. Farhad Sharfai, Khorramabad, no further data on arrest
54. Fariborz Soroush, freelance in Karadj, no further data on arrest
55. Farshad Azizi, Atrak, Maschhad, no further data on arrest
56. Fereydoun Amozadeh, editor of Chelcheragh, no further data on arrest
57. Saeed Massoud Lavasani, journalist and Blogger, arrested September 26, 2009, sentenced to 6 years in prison, 10 years occupational ban
58. Mohammad Pour Abdollah, freelance, arrested February 13, 2010
59. Morteza Moradpour, Yazligh, arrested May 22, 2009
60. Zeynab Kazemkhah, ISNA, arrested February 7, 2010, released on bail March 7, 2010, sentenced to 5 years in prison November 22, 2010
61. Ali Malihi, Etemad, Irandokht, Shahrvand-e Emruz, Mehrnameh, arrested February 9, 2010, sentenced to 4 years in prison October 1, 2010
62. Mojtaba Gahestooni, freelance, arrested March 5, 2010
63. Sousan Mohammadkhani Ghiasvand, blogger, Kurdistan, arrested March 11, 2010
64. Morteza Kazemian, Jonbesh-e Rah-e Sabz (Jaras), arrested December 29, 2009, released on bail May 3, 2010, sentenced to 1 year in prison November 14, 2010
65. Nooshin Jafari, Etemad, arrested February 3, 2010
66. Rahim Gholami, Ardebil, freelance, arrested April 11, 2008, reduced sentence of 1 year in prison October 28, 2009
67. Hassan Maadikhah, no further data on arrest
68. Khalil Mir-Ashrafi, journalist, TV-Producer, no further data on arrest
69. Kayvan Farzin, Farhang-e Ahang, no further data on arrest
70. Kourosh Javan, Fotojournalist, no further data on arrest
71. Mansoureh Shojai, freelance, feminist websites, no further data on arrest
72. Mashallah Heidarzadeh, journalist from Bushehr, no further data on arrest
73. Mehdi Gilani, Atrak, Mashhad, no further data on arrest
74. Mehdi Hosseinzadeh, no further data on arrest
75. Mehrdad Rahimi, freelance and Blogger, no further data on arrest
76. Mirhamid Hassanzadeh, Herausgeber von Ghalam News Website, no further data on arrest
77. Mohammad Javad Saberi, no further data on arrest
78. Mohammadreza Yazdanpanah, Shargh, Kargozaran, Hammihan and Farhikhtegan, no further data on arrest
79. Hassan Assadi Zeidabadi, blogger, student, human rights activist, no further data on arrest, sentenced to 5 years in prison September 10, 2010
80. Mohammadreza Zohdi, editor of Arya, no further data on arrest
81. Rokhsareh Ghaem-Magham, journalist and documentarist, no further data on arrest
82. Saeed Allah-Behdashti, no further data on arrest
83. Saeed Movahedi, Fotojournalist, arrested July 9, 2009
84. Seyed Emar Kalantari, Ayandeh Website, no further data on arrest
85. Tahereh Riahi, editor Jahan-e Eghtesad, no further data on arrest
86. Ramin Jabbari, blogger and journalist, Bayram, Nedaye Moghan, Yashil Moghan, arrested May 17, 2010
87. Mostafa Jamshidi, journalist, Redaktion Yashil Moghan and Nedaye Moghan, arrested May 18, 2010
88. Akbar Azad, journalist and author, Varligh and Yarpagh, arrested May 25, 2010
89. Mahboubeh Khansari, journalist, Kalame Sabz, Hammihan and Shargh, arrested May 31, 2010
90. Abdolreza Tajik, journalist and human rights activist, third arrest June 11, 2010
91. Arash Saghar, journalist, arrested November 22, 2009
92. Shahin Zeynali, journalist, sentenced to 2 years and 91 days in prison
93. Hassan Etemadi, journalist, sentenced to 2 years in prison
94. Yahya Samadi, Sanandadj, former editor of weekly Souran, arrested July 27, 2010
95. Mostafa Kazzazi, journalist, Herausgeber Seda-ye Edalat, sentenced to 11 months in prison July 28, 2010
96. Siamak Ghaderi, journalist, IRNA, arrested August 7, 2010
97. Mehdi Jalil-Khani, Autor, freelance, Zandjan, arrested January 18, 2010, sentenced to 3 years in prison
98. Navid Mohebbi, freelance, arrested September 18, 2010
99. Amin Madani, journalist, Sanandaj, arrested October 17, 2010
100. Mohammad Reza Moghiseh, Bist-sale ha, arrested October 24, 2010
101. Majid Saeedi, photojournalist, Teheran, sentenced to 3 years in prison
102. Mahsa Amrabadi, journalist, Teheran, sentenced to 1 year in prison
103. Nazanin Khosravani, journalist, Nowrooz, Shargh, arrested November 3, 2010
104. Keyvan Mehregan, politics editor of Etemade Melli, sentenced to 3 years in prison, second arrest on December 7, 2010
105. Saeed Pourheydar, journalist and blogger, sentenced to 5 years in prison December 6, 2010
106. Farzaneh Roustaie, editor Shargh, arrested December 7, 2010
107. Ahmad Gholami, deputy chief editor of Shargh, arrested December 7, 2010
108. Amirhadi Anvari, journalist, Shargh, arrested December 9, 2010
109. Reyhaneh Tabatabai, Shargh, Chelcheragh, arrested December 12, 2010
110. Mehran Faraji, Hamshahri, Etemad-e Melli, Kargozaran, arrested December 11, 2010
German Journalists
Marcus Hellwig and Jens Koch, Bild am Sonntag, arrested October 10, 2010
Released on Bail
1. Sassan Aghaee, freelance, arrested November 22, 2009, released on bail March 28, 2010
2. Shiva Nazar Ahari, Committee of Human Rights Reporters, arrested December 20, 2009, released on bail September 12, 2010
3. Mehraneh Atashi, freelance photojournalist, artist, arrested January 11, 2010, released on bail
4. Behzad Mehrani, journalist, blogger, human rights activist, arrested March 3, 2010 released on bail April 16, 2010
5. Nasour Naghipour, blogger, Ghazvin, arrested March 2, 2010, released before court on June 21, 2010
6. Mehdi Khazali, editor of Hayan, arrested June 29, 2009, released on bail
7. Ehsan Mehrabi, Farhikhtegan, date of arrest unknown, released on bail May 1, 2010
8. Hamzeh Karami, website Jomhooriyat, arrested June 19, 2009, temporary release for medication on July 19, 2010
9. Somayeh Momeni, Nasim-e Bidari, arrested February 7, 2010, released on bail March 13, 2010
10. Mehdi Yazdani Khorram, Etemad-e Melli, Shargh, Hammihan, Kargozaran, transferred to hospital in December 2009
11. Azam Veysameh, Shargh, ILNA, Irandokht, Shahrvand, arrested May 31, 2010, released on bail July 21, 2010
12. Narges Mohammadi, journalist, speaker of Defenders of Human Rights Center, arrested June 10, 2010, released to hospital on July 1, 2010
13. Hamed Saber, photojournalist, arrested June 21, 2010, released on bail August 8, 2010
14. Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, head of Iranian Journalists Association, sentenced to 16 months in prison: December 10, 2010