Reporters Without Borders, 3 December
Middle East & North Africa – Iran

Repression live Press freedom violations recounted in real time (from 1st January 2011)

The Iranian government yesterday banned foreign news media from covering any further rallies outside Britain’s embassy and diplomatic residences in Tehran. “It is the first time foreign media in Iran have been prohibited from covering pro-regime rallies,” Agence France-Presse reported.
The ban seems to have been prompted by the desire to prevent coverage of yesterday’s visit by foreign diplomats to the embassy and Qolhak Garden residential compound, two days after they were ransacked by members of Islamist militias. The prefect of Tehran described the visit as “questionable” and said he had “warned those responsible.”
AFP said the diplomats were shocked by the scale of the damage to the embassy and residences. The United Kingdom closed its embassy after the attack and ordered the Iranian embassy in London to suspend activities.