The following Press Release, signed by 213 Iranian journalists, activists and other civil society figures, was published by the Human Chain Project, with the following introduction:

T below press release with the 213 signatures
was sent to Human Chain Project
with the request that we could publish it . Of course we do so. It is our pleasure and our duty.
--Annette Meyer,
Human Chain Project

Please see below for a multi-language translation of the Press Release, as well as a list of the signatories. At the bottom are links to the Human Chain Project's Press Release as well as their Facebook homepage.

THE PRESS RELEASE:

We, Iranian journalists and signatories of this statement, are protesting the widespread arrest of
our colleagues during raids of their offices.

We are concerned that the simultaneous arrest of a large number of journalists may be politically motivated rather than being intended to serve justice.

What deepens our concern is a statement by the Judiciary Spokesman before the arrests. He claimed to have obtained information from “reliable sources” which “suggests a number of journalists, apart from writing for domestic newspapers, have conspired with the West and anti-revolutionaries.”

We are protesting the fact that the spokesperson talks about the journalists, whose arrests were planned in advance, as if they were tried lawfully and convicted in an open court in the presence of their lawyers and a jury and he is now simply informing the public.

We, the journalists, request that the authorities demonstrate their respect for the law and release our colleagues immediately.

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Lassen Sie die Journalisten frei!
Wir - iranische Journalisten, die diese Kom­mu­ni­qué unterzeichnet haben – protestieren gegen den Besuch der Mitarbeiter der Staatsanwaltschaft bei zahlreichen Zeitungen und Presseorganen des Landes und gegen die massive Verhaftung unserer Kollegen.
Durch diese Verhaftungen, die am Samstag, den 26. Jan. begonnen hat, sind bis jetzt mehr als 16 unserer Kollegen verhaftet worden.
Wir sind besorgt darüber, dass die gleichzeitige Verhaftung einer großen Anzahl von Journalisten politischen Zielen folgt und nicht der Wahrung der Gerechtigkeit dient. Die Ausführung des Sprechers der Justizbehörde verstärkt unsere Sorge. Er führte vor der Verhaftungswelle aus, dass er aus „zuverlässigen Quellen“ Informationen erhalten habe, wonach, „ einige Journalisten nicht nur in der Presse des Landes aktiv sind, sondern auch Hand in Hand mit dem Westen und der Konterrevolution vorgehen.“
Unser Protest richtet gegen die Art und Weise der Ausführungen des Sprechers der Justizbehörde gegen die verhafteten Journalisten. Er redet so, als seien die Journalisten laut Gesetz vor öffentlichen Tribunalen unter Gewährung des Rechtsbeistandes vor einem Richterrat angeklagt und verurteilt worden und man nun nur über ihr Schicksal berichten müsse.
Wir fordern die Verantwortlichen der Justizbehörde auf, umgehend die verhafteten Journalisten freizulassen und zu beweisen, dass sie die Gesetze achten.
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Nous, les journalistes iraniens, qui signent cette manifeste protestent contre la présence de quelques agents de procureur au bureaux des journaux et des magazines à fin d'arrêter quelques uns de nos collègues.
Nous nous inqiettons que,l'arrestation de plusieurs journalistes en meme temps a des raisons politiques pour motif,sauf que l'exécution de justice.
Ce qui fait augmenter nos inquiétudes est le discours de porte parole de pouvoir judiciaire avant l'arrestation de ces journalistes. Il a déclaré que selon des informations des sources bien informées quelques journalistes qui écrivent dans la presse ont une allience avec des oppositions et des pays occidentaux.
Notre protestation basé sur le discours de porte parole de pouvoir judiciaire. Il en parle d'une façon si leur arrestation conforme aux règles légales et ils sont condamnés dans un tribunal public dzvant le jury, en ayant l'avocat. Nous, des journalistes iraniens demandent et exigent de chefs et de résponsables de pouvoir judiciaire de libérer rapidement des journalistes arrêtés et manifestent leur respect pour des règles.
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Noi giornalisti iraniani firmatari di questo appello, protestiamo contro l'arresto dei nostri colleghi nelle redazioni ad opera degli agenti della Procura di Teheran.
Noi siamo profondamente preoccupati per questi arresti che sembrano essere dettati da esigenze politiche e sicuramente nel nome dell'illegalità.
La nostra preoccupazione aumenta quando veniamo a conoscenza di quanto dichiarato qualche giorno prima dal portavoce dell'Autorità Giudiziaria "secondo fonti credibili un gruppo di giornalisti che lavoravano presso i quotidiani nazionali erano in combutta con potenze occidentali e forze contro rivoluzionarie".
Protestiamo contro le parole del portavoce dell'Autorità Giudiziaria che riferendosi ai giornalisti incriminati, si esprime con tale certezza, come se questi avessero subito un regolare processo, con tanto di collegio di difesa, alla presenza di giudici e giurati e fossero stati condannati per i reati a loro imputati.
Chiediamo alle autorità competenti di liberare immediatamente i nostri colleghi detenuti e dimostrare in questo modo di essere al servizio della Legge.
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نحن الصاحفیون الایرانیون الموقعون علی هذا البیان، نحتج علی اعتقال زملائنا علی ایدی عناصر تابعة للنائب العام في طهران، من داخل ادارات التحریر
کما نشعر بقلق بالغ ازاء هذه الاعتقالات التي تشیر الی انها قد املیت نتیجة دواع سیاسیة وبالتاکید تحت مظلة اللاشرعية
فما یزید في قلقنا هو تصاریح ادلی بها النائب العام قائلاً ان مجموعة من الصحافيين في الداخل، متواطئون مع القوی الغربية واالمعادین للثورة.
ونحن نحتج علی کلام النائب العام المتحدث باسم السلطة القضائیة التي تشیر الی الصحافیین المحتجزین، اذ انه یعبر کما لو انهم قد ادینوا بجرائم منسوبة الیهم بعدما واجهوا محاکمة عادلة بوجود فریق للدفاع وبحضور القضاة والمحلفین. وهو ما لم یحصل. اننا ندعو السلطات الی الافراج الفوري عن زملائنا المعتقلین ...
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Gazeteciler Serbest Bırakılsın!
Biz İran’lı gazeteciler olarak ve bu açıklamaya imza atanlar birlikte, İran devletinin haksız bir şekilde birkaç gazete ve dergi bürosunun basmasını ve meslektaşlarımızın yaygın bir şekilde tutuklamasına itirazımız var.
Biz birçok gazetecinin tutuklandığı bir dönemde meslek görevimizi yerine getirirken endişe duyuyoruz, ki bu tutuklamalar siyasidir ve adalet niyeti ile yapılmıyor.
Bizim endişemizi yoğunlaştıran, yargı sözcüsünün söyledikleri. Tutuklamalardan önce gazeteci arkadaşlarımızı hedef gösteren yargı sözcüsü ‘Güvenilir kaynaklar’ına dayanarak bazı gazetecileri ülke gazetelerinde yazarken elleri batı ve İran devrimin muhaliflerin elinde olduğu şeklinde iddiaları ortaya attı.
Yargı sözcüsünün bu şekilde gazeteci arkadaşlarımızı hedef göstermesinin sebebi haksız ve hukuksuz tutuklamamaların üstünü örtmek içindir. Avukat savunmasına izin verilmeyen gazeteci arkadaşlarımız mahkemeye çıkarılmadan asılsız suçlamalarla tutuklandılar.
Biz İran’lı gazeteciler olarak adli makamlardan yaptıkları hatadan vaz geçmelerini meslek arkadaşlarımız derhal serbest bırakmalarını ve onların kurallara saygı göstermelerini arzu ediyoruz.
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رۆژنامه‌ نووسان ئازاد بكه‌ن
ئێمه‌ رۆژنامه‌نووسانی ئێرانی، واژۆكارانی ئه‌م نامه‌یه‌، ناڕازین به‌ هه‌ڵمه‌تی ده‌ستبه‌سه‌ركردنی هاوپشه‌كانمان كه‌ له‌ یه‌ككاتدا له‌لایه‌ن هێزه‌كانی سه‌ر به‌ داواكاری گشتییه‌وه‌ به‌ڕێوه‌چووه‌.. ئه‌و هێزانه‌ رۆژنامه‌نووسانیان له‌ شوێنی كاروپیشه‌كانیان له‌ یه‌كاتدا ده‌ستگیركردوه‌..ئێمه‌ نیگه‌رانین له‌وه‌ی ده‌ستبه‌سه‌ركردنی ئه‌م ژماره‌یه‌ له‌ رۆژنامه‌نووسان

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SIGNATORIES:

1. Afshin Amirshahi
2. Ahmad Jalali Farahani
3. Ahmad Rafat
4. Aida Ezzati
5. Aida Ghajar
6. Ali Kheradpir
7. Ali Razavi
8. Ali Reza Kan'anro
9. Ali Seyed Abadi
10. Aliasghar Ramezanpoor
11. Alieh Motalebzadeh
12. Alireza Behdad
13. Alireza Behnam
14. Alireza Khamesian
15. Alireza Latifian
16. Arash Bahmani
17. Arash Ghafouri
18. Arash Hosseini Pajooh
19. Ardavan Roozbeh
20. Ardeshir Zarei Ghanavati
21. Asal Abbasian
22. Asieh Amini
23. Azadeh Yektaei
24. Babak Zakeri
25. Bahman Daroalshafaei
26. Bahram Rafie
27. Banafsheh Ramezani Yeganeh
28. Behnaz Jalalipour
29. Behrooz Samadbeygi
30. Benyamin Sadr
31. Bijan Safsari
32. Delbar Tavakoli
33. Ehsan Mehrabi
34. Ehsan Norouzi
35. Elham Danyali
36. Ershad Alijani
37. Esmaeel Azadi
38. Faramarz Gharabaghy
39. Farhad Kianfard
40. Faride Ghaeb
41. Farnaz Khatibi
42. Farnaz Shahidsaless
43. Farnoosh Amirshahi
44. Farnoosh Tehrani
45. Farshad Noroozpour
46. Farzane Aieni
47. Farzaneh Bazrpour
48. Farzin Golpad
49. Fateme Fanaeian
50. Fateme Ramezanian
51. Fereshteh Ghazi
52. Firooze Ramezanzade
53. Ghazal Hazraty
54. Gisoo Faghfoori
55. Habib Hosseinifard
56. Hadi Nili
57. Hadis Elmi
58. Hamed Shafiei
59. Hamid Ebrahimzade
60. Hamid Ebrahimzade
61. Hamid Eslami
62. Hamid Jafari
63. Hamid Janipour
64. Hamid Mafi
65. Hamidreza Zarifinia
66. Hanif Mazrooei
67. Hasan Sarbakhshian
68. Homayoun Kheyri
69. Hosein Ghazian
70. Hosein Vahdani
71. Hossein Alavi
72. Javad Heydarian
73. Javad Montazeri
74. Kaveh Ghoreishi
75. Khatereh Vatankhah
76. Ladan Salami
77. Leila Malekmohamadi
78. Leila Saadati
79. Leily Nikounazar
80. Lida Ayaz
81. Mahboobeh Khansari
82. Mahboube Hoseinzadeh
83. Mahdi Tajik
84. Mahmud Farjami
85. Mahrokh Gholamhosseinpour
86. Mahtab Gholizadeh
87. Majid Saeedi
88. Malihe Hosseini
89. Mana Neyestani
90. Manely Fakhrian
91. Maryam Amoosa
92. Maryam Hosseinkhah
93. Maryam Jafari
94. Maryam Mirza
95. Maryam Shahsamandi
96. Maryam Soltanzadeh
97. Masih Alinejad
98. Masoud Behnoud
99. Masoud Lavasani
100. Masoud Mir
101. Masoud Safiri
102. Maziar Bahari
103. Mehdi Afroozmanesh
104. Mehdi Amirpoor
105. Mehdi Mhmoudian
106. Mehdi Najafi Ziazi
107. Mehdi Owrand
108. Mehdi Rostampour
109. Mehran Faraji
110. Mehran Faraji
111. Mehran Karami
112. Mehraveh Kharazmi
113. Mehrdad Abolghassemi
114. Mehrdad Mashaiekhi
115. Milad Beheshti
116. Minoo Momeni
117. Mohamad Hossein Mehrzad
118. Mohamad Rahbar
119. Mohammad Aghazadeh
120. Mohammad Ghadamali
121. Mohammad Tangestani
122. Mohsen Ahmadi
123. Mohsen Kakarash
124. Mojgan Mirzaei
125. Mojtaba Najafi
126. Molud Hajizadeh
127. Morteza Kazemian
128. Mozhgan Modarres Oloum
129. Naeimeh Doustdar
130. Nafise Motlaq
131. Nasrin Zahiri
132. Nazanin Kazemi
133. Nazanin Matinnia
134. Neda Lohordi
135. Negar Mortazavi
136. Negin Derakhshan
137. Newsha Saremi
138. Nezhat Amirabadian
139. Niki Mahjoub
140. Niloufar Rostami
141. Nooshabeh Amiri
142. Omid Iranmehr
143. Omid Keshtkar
144. Omid Memarian
145. Omid Salimi
146. Parvaneh Vahidmanesh
147. Parvin Emami
148. Poorya Soori
149. Pooyan Fakhraei
150. Rasoul Asghari
151. Reihaneh Mazaheri
152. Reza Ganji
153. Reza HaghighatNejad
154. Reza Haji Hosseini
155. Reza Khanaki
156. Reza Mohaddes
157. Reza Rafiei
158. Reza Sedigh
159. Reza Shojaeiyan
160. Roozbeh Mirebrahimi
161. Roya Maleki
162. Saba Sherdoust
163. Saeed Barabadi
164. Saeed Shams
165. Saeedeh Amin
166. Saeedeh Khodabakhsh
167. Saeid Pourheydar
168. Saghi Laghaie
169. Sahar Bayati
170. Saiede Eslamie
171. Sajedeh Arabsorkhi
172. Sajedeh Arabsorkhi
173. Sam Ghafarzadeh
174. Sam Khosravi Fard
175. Sam Mahmoudi Sarabi
176. Saman Rasoulpour
177. Samaneh Ghadarkhan
178. Samin Mohajerani
179. Samira Gharaee
180. Sanaz Allahbedashti
181. Sanaz Ghazizadeh
182. Sara Omatali
183. Sara Taheri
184. Sepideh Behkam
185. Shabnam Azar
186. Shabnam Rahmati
187. Shabnam Shabani
188. Shafagh Mohammad Hosaini
189. Shahin Nourbakhsh
190. Shahram Rafizadeh
191. Shahrzad Hemati
192. Shima Bahremand
193. Shima Shahrabi
194. Shirzad Abdollahi
195. Shokoofeh Azar
196. Siamak Rahmani
197. Sogand Alikhah
198. Soheil Asefi
199. Solmaz Ikder
200. Solmaz Sharif
201. Somayeh Keshvari
202. Sonita Sarabpour
203. Tahereh Riahi
204. Tara Bonyad
205. Vida Khosravy
206. Zahra Jafarzadeh
207. Mohammad Safajooee
208. Marjan Tabatabaie
209. Taraneh Baniyaghub
210. Maryam Majd
211. Mohamad Reza Nasab Abdolahi
212. Zahra Bigdeli
213. Ameneh Mousavi

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LINK TO THE ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE:

http://on.fb.me/USYRZy

LINK TO THE HUMAN CHAIN PROJECT FACE BOOK PAGE:

http://on.fb.me/14NrgEl