The Radio Zamaneh journalist and Gilan-e Emrouz edior-in-chief also angered authorities after he interviewed an “anti-revolutionary” gay poet.

Mojtaba Pourmohsen began his career in journalism in 2000 and has been the editor-in-chief of Gilan-e Emrouz, a local newspaper based in Rasht, the capital of the northern province of Gilan, since 2006. In the same year, he started working with Radio Zamaneh (“Times”), an Amsterdam-based Persian language radio station focusing on culture and art.

In August 2007, he interviewed Iranian-Canadian poet Saghi Ghahraman for the reformist newspaper Shargh. The interview was considered controversial and deemed to be immoral and anti-revolutionary because Ghahraman is an active member of the Toronto-based Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization and expressed her support for gay rights during the course of the interview. Following publication of the interview, authorities issued a ban on the newspaper.

Intelligence Ministry agents arrested Pourmohsen on June 15th 2009, at his home in Rasht, giving no explanation for his arrest. The agents, who were not in uniform, also confiscated some of Pourmohsen’s personal items, including books, videos and his computer. He was held at a temporary detention center for three days and then moved to Lankan Prison in Rasht, despite being given assurances that he would be released on bail. After 11 days in solitary confinement, he was finally released.

In summer 2009, Pourmohsen was sentenced to one year in prison for propaganda against the regime because of his cooperation with Radio Zamaneh. His sentence was later suspended. His book of poems, Solo Tango, which was published in Europe, was used as evidence against him.