Iran has arrested 14 journalists for alleged co-operation with foreign-based Persian-language media organisations.
Several chief editors of Iranian outlets said on Monday that the arrests signal a major escalation in a press crackdown that reflects Iran's zero tolerance for those who work with dissident media or outlets considered hostile to the regime.
The chief editors of the arrested journalists told The Associated Press that the 14 were taken into custody on Sunday night and on Monday because of their "foreign contacts"
In recent years, Iran has denounced the Voice of America (VOA) and the BBC's Persian service, describing them as arms of US and British intelligence agencies. It has warned of severe repercussions for Iranian journalists and activists caught having contacts with these outlets.
Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa Program Co-ordinator for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, told Al Jazeera that Iran had been ranked as "the worst jailer of journalists worldwide".
"And since the 2009 election, Iran has kept, and continued pressure, jail-time, torture and even lashing sentences against journalists," said Mansour, referring to the contested presidential re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which lead to months of protests and massive and persistant crackdowns on media as well as political opposition.
"We see the escalation coming as the election time comes," said Mansour.
'Serving the enemy's purpose'
The arrests followed last week's warning by State Prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei, who said journalists who are in contact with "hostile foreign media" would be punished.
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