Iran Confirms Arrest Of Two Journalists

(RFE/RL) August 15, 2007 -- Iran confirmed today it is holding two reformist journalists in prison.

A judiciary spokesman said Soheil Asefi and Farshad Ghorbanpour are accused of "spreading lies against the system and giving news to foreign websites."


According to the international press freedom watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Asefi was arrested on August 4. Ghorbanpour was detained on July 31.


Both are being held in Tehran's Evin prison.


Iran sentenced two Kurdish-Iranian journalists to death last month for being "enemies of God."


RSF has asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene in their cases.


(AFP)