Bahari told Index on Censorship that family members in Iran had received a call on 17 April 2010 in which they were informed: “Tell Maziar that he shouldn’t think we don’t have access to him because he is not in Iran. The situation is getting dangerous now. Anything can happen without advance notice.”

Attempt to silence critical voices
Bahari was jailed in 2009 in Iran while attempting to cover the disputed presidential elections. He was released on bail after 118 days, and has not returned to Iran since.

Index on Censorhip Associate Editor Rohan Jayasekera condemned the move by Iranian authorities: “This attempt to intimidate Bahari and his family demonstrates the Iranian regime’s contempt for free expression.”

Committee to Protect Journalists Executive Director Joel Simon criticised the threats: “The Iranian authorities continue to resort to harassment and violence to silence critical voices, as evidenced by this latest threat made against our colleague Maziar Bahari. We call on Tehran to abandon its intimidation tactics against critical journalists.”

Here you can watch Maziar Bahari’s interview with Al Jazeera’s Listening Post, recorded at the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards.

Background
Bahari is a consultant for the “Our Society Will Be A Free Society” campaign calling for the release of imprisoned Iranian journalists and writers.

The “Our Society Will Be A Free Society” campaign – a reference to a pledge made by Ayatollah Khomeini on the eve of the 1979 Revolution – is gathering signatures for an online petition to be sent to Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad on 20 March, 2010, the Iranian New Year. To sign the petition, visit the campaign website or access the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) page on Facebook.

Find out more about Bahari‘s experience in Iran.

Related links:

Story from Iran:There is no difference between journalism and intelligence

Iran: Leading journalist detained without charge, health concerns

Iran: petition drive calling for the release of journalists and writers