Iran frees journalist on \,000 bail - report

TEHRAN, Aug 29 (Reuters) Iran has freed one of three journalists accused of publishing ''lies'' about the ruling system in the Islamic Republic after his family paid bail of 500 million rials (54,000 dollars), a news agency said today.

Farshad Gorbanpour, who worked for a pro-reform daily shut down in July, told the ISNA news agency he was released on Sunday from Tehran's Evin prison.

''Initially my bail was set at 2 billion rials but after my family urged the authorities, the price was reduced to 500 million rials,'' he was quoted as saying.

He said the reason for his arrest was ''taking action against national security and spreading propaganda against the system.'' The Paris-based media rights group Reporters Without Borders earlier this month said Gorbanpour and fellow journalist Masoud Bastani were detained on July 31, followed by the August 4 detention of Soheil Assefi, and called for their release.

An Iranian judiciary spokesman said they were accused of ''publishing false statements and lies against the system as well as giving news and information to foreign (Internet) sites who have published these lies.'' A judicial source has said Bastani was released but that he could be called in for further questioning.

In an August 7 statement, Reporters Without Borders said the latest detentions brought to 11 the number of journalists and ''cyber-dissidents'' held and called on Iran ''to stop hounding journalists by bringing trumped-up charges against them.'' ISNA said Gorbanpour worked for the Ham Mihan daily, which was shut on a legal technicality, according to its publisher. A few weeks later another pro-reform daily, Sharq, was also closed down, its director said.

Rights groups and diplomats say Iran has launched a broad crackdown on dissenting voices in the country, which is under growing Western pressure over its disputed nuclear programme.

Iran says it allows free speech, but journalists say they have to tread carefully.

Since 2000, Iran has closed more than 100 publications, accusing many of being ''pawns of the West''. Many subsequently reopened under different names.

REUTERS SS HS2008