80 Civil Activists Call for the Release of the Editor-in-Chief of Ravanegah Website

With the continued detention of Hossein Sheikh-Aghaei, a journalist and editor-in-chief of the news-analysis website Ravanegah in the city of Mahabad, 80 civil activists have called for his release. The website Reporters Without Borders published the statement from these civil activists on Wednesday, November 18, which includes doctors, lawyers, journalists, researchers, and politicians, mostly from western Iran. The statement emphasizes that the reason for Hossein Sheikh-Aghaei's detention is still unclear even to those involved with the Ravanegah website, and it is hoped that 'the reason is merely a regrettable misunderstanding and that its editor will soon be released and Ravanegah's activities will resume.' The Ravanegah website is a news and analytical platform focusing on issues in western Iran, publishing content in both Persian and Sorani Kurdish; its office is located in Mahabad. Hossein Sheikh-Aghaei was arrested on October 7 by order of the first branch of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Mahabad, along with a member of the editorial board of the Ravanegah website named Younes Ghorbani-Far. While Mr. Ghorbani-Far's detention lasted only a few hours, Mr. Sheikh-Aghaei remains in custody for unknown reasons. In the statement, these 80 civil activists refer to the Ravanegah website as a media outlet that has made 'moderation, respect for the law, and adherence to professional standards' its guiding principles. According to the signatories of this statement, the Ravanegah website provided 'impartial critical readings' of developments and events in the Kurdish regions and always 'avoided local and sectional perspectives that disrupt national unity and social cohesion.' These 80 civil activists ultimately emphasized that they believe 'Ravanegah and its editor deserve kindness and compassion, not wrath and punishment,' and therefore, on the eve of the upcoming parliamentary elections, they demand that 'the ground be prepared for the activities of moderate and law-abiding voices.' According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran currently has 38 imprisoned journalists and bloggers, making it one of the five largest prisons in the world for media activists.