Isa Saharkhiz
Encyclopedia
Isa Saharkhiz (born 1953), is an Iran
ian journalist, political figure, and former head of the press department at the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Education during former President Khatami's
administration. He is also a member of the central council of the Association for the Defense of Press Freedom in Iran. He was arrested in July 2009 during the post-presidential-election crackdown and is currently serving a three-year sentence on charges of "insulting Iran's supreme leader
" and "spreading propaganda against the regime."
, in the province of Khuzestan, in southwestern Iran. In 1959 his family moved to Karaj
, close to the capital, Tehran
. Saharkhiz went to secondary school and passed the national entrance examination for admission to Iranian universities in Karaj and then studied economics at the University of Tehran
where he graduated in 1979. For three years, he was active in the movements that had begun after the Revolution to increase the rate of literacy, and to reconstruct the rural areas (Jihad of Construction). From 1982 to 1992 he worked in Iran for Iran's official news agency, the IRNA, as a reporter and economics expert, but also reported on the Iran-Iraq War
"directly from the front line" for the last two years of the war. In 1992, the relatively liberal head of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
, Mohammad Khatami
, resigned. The ministry was in charge of IRNA and Saharkhiz had gotten to know Khatami. After Khatami resigned, Saharkhiz moved to the United States for five years to run IRNA's office in New York.
When Khatami was elected President in 1997, Saharkhiz returned to Iran and was put in charge of domestic publications under the new minister Ata'ollah Mohajerani
. The hard line judiciaries cracked down on many of the new publications, including Zan which was banned in 1999. In the wake of the ban Saharkhiz resigned. In 2003 he was put on trial by the judiciary and banned from working for the government for one year. After Saharkhiz left the ministry, he founded a daily called Akhbar-e Eqtesad (economic news), which had a reformist and critical view of the management of Iran's economy. Following the 2009 election
Saharkhiz's home was raided and his files confiscated. Saharkhiz refused to go to court but a week later was captured by authorities in northern Iran and imprisoned.
reports that the family of Saharkhiz has written to Iran's judiciary chief to complain that Saharkhiz is being subjected to "inhumane treatment," and that his health is deteriorating. According to Saharkhiz's son, his father has been subject to physical violence and his "blood pressure had been fluctuating wildly and he had fainted several times ... Saharkhiz also suffers from a slipped disc and has developed a tumor that might be cancerous."
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian journalist, political figure, and former head of the press department at the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Education during former President Khatami's
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
administration. He is also a member of the central council of the Association for the Defense of Press Freedom in Iran. He was arrested in July 2009 during the post-presidential-election crackdown and is currently serving a three-year sentence on charges of "insulting Iran's supreme leader
Supreme leader
A supreme leader typically refers to a figure in the highest leadership position of an entity, group, organization, or state, who exercises strong or all-powerful authority over it. In religion, the supreme leader or supreme leaders is God or Gods...
" and "spreading propaganda against the regime."
Early life and career
Saharkhiz was born in 1953 in AbadanAbadan
Abadan is a city in and the capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. It lies on Abadan Island , from the Persian Gulf, near the Iraqi-Iran border. The civilian population of the city dropped to near zero during the eight-years Iran–Iraq War. In 1992, only 84,774 had returned to live...
, in the province of Khuzestan, in southwestern Iran. In 1959 his family moved to Karaj
Karaj
Karaj is a city in and the capital of Karaj County, Alborz Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 1,377,450, in 385,955 families, , making it the fifth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Tabriz.) It is situated west of Tehran, at the foothills of the Alborz...
, close to the capital, Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. Saharkhiz went to secondary school and passed the national entrance examination for admission to Iranian universities in Karaj and then studied economics at the University of Tehran
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran , also known as Tehran University and UT, is Iran's oldest university. Located in Tehran, the university is among the most prestigious in the country, and is consistently selected as the first choice of many applicants in the annual nationwide entrance exam for top Iranian...
where he graduated in 1979. For three years, he was active in the movements that had begun after the Revolution to increase the rate of literacy, and to reconstruct the rural areas (Jihad of Construction). From 1982 to 1992 he worked in Iran for Iran's official news agency, the IRNA, as a reporter and economics expert, but also reported on the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
"directly from the front line" for the last two years of the war. In 1992, the relatively liberal head of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is the ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is responsible for restricting access to any media of which the Islamic Regime in Tehran does not approve....
, Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
, resigned. The ministry was in charge of IRNA and Saharkhiz had gotten to know Khatami. After Khatami resigned, Saharkhiz moved to the United States for five years to run IRNA's office in New York.
When Khatami was elected President in 1997, Saharkhiz returned to Iran and was put in charge of domestic publications under the new minister Ata'ollah Mohajerani
Ata'ollah Mohajerani
Ata'ollah Mohajerani , , is an Iranian historian, politician, journalist, and author. Ata`ollah Mohajerani served as Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran under reformist President Mohammad Khatami until 2000 when he was resigned from office for alleged permissiveness."-Overview:Dr...
. The hard line judiciaries cracked down on many of the new publications, including Zan which was banned in 1999. In the wake of the ban Saharkhiz resigned. In 2003 he was put on trial by the judiciary and banned from working for the government for one year. After Saharkhiz left the ministry, he founded a daily called Akhbar-e Eqtesad (economic news), which had a reformist and critical view of the management of Iran's economy. Following the 2009 election
Iranian presidential election, 2009
Iran's tenth presidential election was held on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes counted, Ahmadinejad had won the election...
Saharkhiz's home was raided and his files confiscated. Saharkhiz refused to go to court but a week later was captured by authorities in northern Iran and imprisoned.
Imprisonment
Radio FardaRadio Farda
Radio Farda is the Iranian Branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's broadcast services. It broadcasts 24 hours a day in the Persian language from its headquarters Prague, Czech Republic. Radio Farda first aired December 2002. Radio Farda broadcasts political, cultural, social, and art news...
reports that the family of Saharkhiz has written to Iran's judiciary chief to complain that Saharkhiz is being subjected to "inhumane treatment," and that his health is deteriorating. According to Saharkhiz's son, his father has been subject to physical violence and his "blood pressure had been fluctuating wildly and he had fainted several times ... Saharkhiz also suffers from a slipped disc and has developed a tumor that might be cancerous."
External links
- http://www.amnesty.de/urgent-action/ua-181-2008/journalist-festgenommen?destination=node%2F5309%3Fsupport_type%3D%26node_type%3D%26country%3D52%26topic%3D%26from_month%3D0%26from_year%3D%26to_month%3D0%26to_year%3D%26submit_x%3D77%26submit_y%3D7%26submit%3DAuswahl%2Banzeigen%26result_limit%3D10%26form_id%3Dai_core_search_form Campaign of Amnesty International Germany to urge Authorities to release him from prison (de)]
- Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Finds Detention of Isa Saharkhiz to be Unlawful (en)