Washington: The United States on Thursday asked Iran to release the journalists as it said is "deeply troubled" by the arrest of more than a dozen media persons on charges of having contacts with foreign news organisations.
"We are deeply troubled by the Iranian regime`s arrest of more than a dozen journalists on spurious charges of spying and having contact with foreign news organisations. Such actions are clearly meant to stifle free expression, limit political debate, and close off the flow of information in advance of Iran`s June Presidential Elections," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference.
"Iran`s attempts to suppress the ideas and the desires of their own people are not going to make those demands and desires disappear. So we call on the Iranian authorities to release those who have been arrested and to respect their country`s own laws and their citizen`s right to freedom of expression," she said in response to a question.
PTI
