Bahrain: newspaper ban lifted
The 21 June ban of Arabic Gulf News has been lifted. The Bahrain newspaper came under fire after criticising the Iranian leadership. Read more
Read more here
Journalist Maziar Bahari arrested in Tehran
Iranian-Canadian documentary maker and journalist Maziar Bahari was arrested after police raided his Tehran home on Sunday morning (21 June). He is currently being held without charge. Over 20 journalists have been arrested since the beginning of the protests in Iran.
Read more here
Tech giants rush Farsi versions
In light of the situation in Iran, search giant Google has stepped up work to release a tool that will translate Farsi into English and Facebook will be launching a Persian version. Both companies stress privately that there is no political motivation in what and that their main goal is to facilitate communication and the flow of information. Read more here
Tweeting in Tehran
Though the Iranian authorities seem determined to keep a grip on information getting in and out of the country following the weekend’s dubious election victory for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, they have failed to shut down Twitter. You can follow what’s happening around in Iran and reaction from around the world at #IranElection, #Mousavi and #Tehran. The Tweeter persiankiwi is providing regular updates from Tehran.
Richard Sambrook has a good analysis of Twitter “coverage” of the events here.
Meanwhile, you can read an account of conditions for those detained by riot police in Tehran here. It’s written by George McLeod, a reporter for Canada’s Globe and Mail, who was taken in by police last night.
And the BBC has a good round up of the clampdown here