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| Inaction on Kazemi poses journalistic threat - CEP For immediate release April 5, 2005 Canadian journalists working abroad are being left open to harassment and physical danger by the federal government's refusal to take strong action against Iran over the murder of photojournalist Zahara Kazemi, says Canada's largest media union. Peter Murdoch, Media Vice President of the 160,000 member Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, called the Canadian government's inaction " a direct threat to journalists and journalistic freedom." "The latest revelations about the treatment of Ms. Kazemi are enough, in our view, for the Canadian government to recall our ambassador from Iran, to expel the Iranian ambassador to Canada and to pursue criminal charges at the International Court of Justice," Mr. Murdoch said. "Anything less than these kind of strong actions will send a signal worldwide that Canadian journalists can be harassed and endangered by regimes which do not like how they cover a story. " Government platitudes are not enough to address the horrible violence suffered by Ms. Kazemi. We have waited for action for almost a week now and have heard nothing but sentiment from the Liberals. Surely the Prime Minister understands that torture requires a more serious response than comforting phrases, " Mr. Murdoch said. The CEP, with some 25,000 members who work in media across the country, has previously condemned the murder of Ms. Kazemi who died while in the hands of Iranian security forces. A doctor who treated her in Iran recently reported that she had been tortured and raped before being killed. For information: Peter Murdoch at (613) 230- 5200 |