Conservatives renew attacks with suspension of two reformist publications

Reporters Without Borders called today on the head of Iran's judiciary, Mahmud Sharudi, to put a stop to new moves against the press which saw the suspension of two reformist publications on 15 September. "These suspensions once again show the profound contempt of the judiciary for freedom of expression," said Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard. "The war of the conservatives against the reformers is taking a growing toll among journalists as attacks on press freedom engineered by the judiciary increase." The two publications were ordered closed because they allegedly ran articles that were "lies and opposed to the Islamic regime" and "morally offensive." One of the publications was the new reformist daily Golestan-é-Iran ("Garden of Iran"), which was accused of "putting out rumours and propaganda against the regime." The conservative daily Jomhori Islami had called since early this month for the paper, which is aimed at young readers, to be suspended. Also suspended was the general interest weekly Vagat ("Times"), which was accused of publishing "depraved" pictures and "morally offensive" articles. Absali Alizadeh, the all-powerful head of the judiciary in Teheran, had filed a complaint against the magazine. The suspensions were ordered by Judge Said Mortazavi, the president of court 1410, known as "the press court." The provincial weekly Nameh Gazvin was suspended on 28 August, the latest of more than 80 publications suspended since April 2000. A trial involving the newspaper Hambastegi is currently under way in Teheran. Several journalists and intellectuals have also been summoned and interrogated by the judiciary's "security service," which acts as its intelligence agency. The Guide of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is on Reporters Without Borders' worldwide list of predators of press freedom because 10 journalists are still unjustly imprisoned in Iran.