Reuters found guilty of "propaganda" in Tehran
A jury in Tehran found the Reuters news agency guilty of "propaganda against the state" on Sunday. The verdict was based on a video report about Iranian female martial artists.
As the Iranian news agency Irna reported, citing the public prosecutor's office, Reuters was also found guilty of publishing "false information" in order to influence public opinion. The decision still has to be confirmed by a professional judge, who is expected to impose a sentence in the coming weeks, as reported by Press TV. The dispute concerns a report about Iranian women who practise the martial art of Ninjutsu in Karaj near Tehran.
Reuters originally reported on the martial artists in February with the title "Thousands of ninja women train to become killers in Iran". After protests, Reuters changed the title and apologized. However, the authorities in Tehran withdrew the accreditation of the Reuters journalists; the activities of the news agency were suspended and the judiciary was called in. (sda)
