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Foreign media were banned from covering this summer's protests in Tehran, while local journalists have been arrested and persecuted.
In a SPIEGEL interview, the chairman of Tehran's Association for the Defense of Press Freedom, 51-year-old Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, discusses acts of repression against journalists in Iran in the wake of June protests over the presidential election.

SPIEGEL: How many Iranian journalists have been arrested since the disputed presidential election on June 12?
Mashallah Shamsolvaezin: We know of about 38 arrests -- mostly young activists, but some very experienced journalists have also been affected. Eight journalists have since been released and the others will have to answer to the court. These arrests are completely arbitrary. A large number of these journalists were arrested in their homes, but some were also taken from their editorial offices.
SPIEGEL: Is working in Iran particularly dangerous for the Western media?
Shamsolvaezin : Not if the journalists are accredited with Ershad, the Ministry for Culture and Islamic Guidance. It's a greater threat when journalists have worked for the Western media without permission or if the Iranian leadership wants to exploit a case to obtain concessions from a Western government.
SPIEGEL: What kind of punishment can the arrested journalists expect?
Shamsolvaezin : If they are accused of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic," then the highest penalty they would face is three years in prison. In the most recent wave of arrests, however, journalists have been accused of "acting against national security." For that, they could be sentenced to up to 10 years.
SPIEGEL: Revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last week that he was "not accusing the involved people of being foreign agents" and that that he would not do so unless it has "been proven."
Shamsolvaezin : The question of what action is taken against critical journalists and members of the opposition is purely political. In the current situation, we're easy prey. Our attorneys are not allowed to inspect the court files relating to the cases and they are not allowed to attend the trials.