Iranian jury declares Reuters guilty over 'assassins' video
Source: Agencies |
October 1, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AN Iranian jury voted yesterday to convict the Reuters news organization over a video script that contained an error, Iran's Press TV reported. The final decision will be made by a judge.
In March, the Iranian government suspended the press accreditation of Reuters staff in Tehran after the publication of a video script on women's martial arts training that incorrectly referred to the athletes as "assassins." Reuters journalists have not been able to report inside Iran since then.
"A jury member at a Tehran penal court told Press TV that the news agency was found guilty of propagating against the Islamic Republic and disseminating false information to disturb public opinion," Press TV said on its website.
It said the court was due to issue its ruling in October, adding Reuters could appeal.
The jury acts in an advisory capacity in this court, and the final verdict rests with the judge.
"We understand that the jury has stated its view and we now await the Court's ruling. We do not intend to comment further until a decision is issued," a Reuters spokesperson said.
Reuters corrected the story after the martial arts club where the video was filmed complained. Reuters also apologized.
The story's headline, "Thousands of female Ninjas train as Iran's assassins," was corrected to read "Three thousand women Ninjas train in Iran."
Reuters' Bureau Chief in Iran, Iranian national Parisa Hafezi, was subsequently charged on several counts including spreading lies and propaganda against the establishment. She was banned from traveling, and her passport was confiscated.
Hafezi leads Reuters' Iran operations, but is only responsible for the text stories, not the visuals, captions or scripts produced by the television journalists or photographers.
In March, the Iranian government suspended the press accreditation of Reuters staff in Tehran after the publication of a video script on women's martial arts training that incorrectly referred to the athletes as "assassins." Reuters journalists have not been able to report inside Iran since then.
"A jury member at a Tehran penal court told Press TV that the news agency was found guilty of propagating against the Islamic Republic and disseminating false information to disturb public opinion," Press TV said on its website.
It said the court was due to issue its ruling in October, adding Reuters could appeal.
The jury acts in an advisory capacity in this court, and the final verdict rests with the judge.
"We understand that the jury has stated its view and we now await the Court's ruling. We do not intend to comment further until a decision is issued," a Reuters spokesperson said.
Reuters corrected the story after the martial arts club where the video was filmed complained. Reuters also apologized.
The story's headline, "Thousands of female Ninjas train as Iran's assassins," was corrected to read "Three thousand women Ninjas train in Iran."
Reuters' Bureau Chief in Iran, Iranian national Parisa Hafezi, was subsequently charged on several counts including spreading lies and propaganda against the establishment. She was banned from traveling, and her passport was confiscated.
Hafezi leads Reuters' Iran operations, but is only responsible for the text stories, not the visuals, captions or scripts produced by the television journalists or photographers.
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