Reporters of the Islamic Republic News Agency's (IRNA) office at UN Headquarters in New York have been slapped new restrictions by the US government to deter activities in covering news events, it was reported here Tuesday.
The IRNA website in Manhattan district has been blocked since 22:00 hours Friday (local time).
After several contacts with Manhattan officials, the office was told the problem would be fixed on Tuesday between 9 am to 7 pm, but there has been no word on whether the office has now been able to resume its activities.
Restrictions have been imposed on IRNA staff in New York in the past and as with the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly due to open in New York on Tuesday (today) new ones come as no surprise.
The Iranian president, who has started a three-nation tour of Senegal, Venezuela and Cuba, is expected to arrive at UN Headquarters in New York to attend the General Assembly session scheduled for Sept 19-27.
President Ahmadinejad is also expected to deliver a speech at the 61st UN General Assembly session.
It is, however, worth mentioning that IRNA's office at UN Headquarters is the only one that has been facing Internet problems in recent days.
IRNA reporters have also been subjected to restrictive measures in the recent past, specifically in getting visas to enter UN Headquarters in New York.
Last April, IRNA's correspondent in New York, Maqsoud Amirian, in an interview with Cable News Network (CNN), said he felt like a prisoner in the United States as he was restricted to his place of work.
He said these restrictions on Iranian reporters are not given due attention in western countries.
He criticized the US government for refusing to issue visas for his wife and two children that he had applied for and who he had not seen for over a year.
Rejecting US claims about the connection between Iranian reporters and intelligence agencies, the reporter told CNN: "We are working for the Iranian government and cover news stories. We are not diplomats."
