Covering an Election in Iran: Papers Please, Your Under Arrest, We Won't Allow That

Media watchdogs say majority of visa applications from foreign news organisations to presidential election have been ignored

International media watchdogs and journalists say most visa applications from foreign news organisations to cover the contest have been rejected or simply ignored.

Press TV, an Iranian channel, quoted an interior ministry official on Wednesday as saying that over 1,000 journalists will be covering the election. But a concerted effort is apparently under way to limit coverage, especially by western media – perhaps out of fear of a repeat of the protests that followed the disputed 2009 vote.

Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based organisation, said on Wednesday that the Iranian authorities had not issued visas to the vast majority of foreign journalists who requested them. Iranian media were subject to "harassment, restrictions and censorship".

Journalists who have obtained visas have been prevented from moving freely in Tehran, banned from meetings of candidates supported by reformers and from contacting government opponents or the families of political prisoners, RWB added. Visas are usually issued for one week.

Why live in fear?  The last election was so "transparent and open" that obviously there's no need to have any media present to cover this years election.    I'm sure all those people protesting in the streets of Tehran were just and illusion a figment of my imagination.   Injuries inflicted upon the protester's by pro government thugs were actors involved in the making of a film and not real Iranian citizens.

So, to insure that the narrative the presented to the outside world about how open, fair and transparent these elections will be the government has decided to restrict the access of foreign media.  As they will tell a truth which is constructed by the government.