August 30
Iran jails lawyer over US radio interview
TEHRAN, Aug 30 (AFP) - The defence lawyer for several pro-reform Iranian
newspapers banned earlier this year was arrested in connection with a US
radio interview, the state IRNA news agency said Wednesday. Mohammad-Ali
Jedari-Forouqi was jailed Monday on charges of helping the editor of a
pro-reform journal spread "false allegations" about the Iranian
courts in an interview with US radio network Voice of America (VOA) >>> FULL
TEXT
August 28
Head of a film & sports newspaper summoned to hardline court
TEHRAN, Aug 28 (AFP) - The managing editor of a film and sport newspaper
has been summoned to appear at Tehran's conservative Special Court for
Clergy (SCC), the official IRNA news agency reported Monday. Cleric Ali
Afsahi, the director of the Cinema-Varzesh (cinema and sports) weekly,
has to appear at the court Wednesday where he will be informed of the charges
brought up against him, IRNA said >>>
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August 23
Tehran's press court summons capital's mayor
TEHRAN, Aug 23 (AFP) - Tehran's mayor Morteza Aliviri appeared at the
capital's press court Wednesday to answer charges facing him in his capacity
as the director of the Hamshahri paper, the largest circulation daily in
Iran. According to judicial sources, Alviri, "responded to press court
judge Said Mortazavi's questions relating to charges made against his paper,"
which is run by the municipality >>>
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August 22
Opposition figure released from detention
TEHRAN, Aug 22 (AFP) - Opposition figure Ezatollah Sahabi, who was detained
in Tehran after he returned from a controversial conference in Berlin in
April, has been released pending trial, state radio said Tuesday. The Iranian
judicial system decided the conference was "anti-Islamic," after
some participants attacked Iran's Islamic regime for press censorship and
political repression >>>
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August 22
Prominent reformist journalist placed in solitary confinement
TEHRAN, Aug 22 (AFP) - Reformist journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin
jailed in April for "hurting Islam" has been placed in solitary
confinement, his wife said cited by the press here Tuesday. "We were
informed by other detained friends that Shamsolvaezin has been transfered
to an individual prison cell since Sunday, but we do not know why,"
his wife said cited by the Hayate-No paper >>>
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August 21
Two women editors in press court
TEHRAN, Aug 21 (AFP) - The editors of two magazines, both of them women,
appeared in press court Monday to face charges ranging from defamation
to publishing anti-Islamic propaganda. Taraneh Behzadi, head of the scientfic
and cultural monthly Danestaniha, which is considered close to the reform
movement, has been accused of defamation and publishing false information
>>>
FULL TEXT
August 20
Conservative papers refuse to reveal circulation figures
TEHRAN, Aug 20 (AFP) - At least eight conservative Iranian newspapers
have ignored an order by the culture ministry to make public their print
runs, the Hamshahri daily reported on Sunday. The order was given in a
bid to "make the workings of the press transparent," according
to an excerpt of the directive published by Hamshahri >>>
FULL TEXT
August 17
Court slaps permanent ban on 'Ava' newspaper paper
TEHRAN, Aug 17 (AFP) - Iran's press court imposed a permanent ban on
a suspended pro-reform newspaper and barred its director from further press
activities, newspapers said here Thursday. Ava (The Voice) was one of more
than 20 publications closed in a sweeping crackdown on the press over the
past few months led by the conservative- dominated courts >>>
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August 16
Judicial official casts doubt on the re-opening of newspapers: paper
TEHRAN, Aug 16 (AFP) - A conservative newspaper, citing an unidentified
"high-ranking" official in the judiciary, cast doubt Wednesday
on reports that banned papers would be returning to newsstands soon. The
official, quoted in the Qods daily, contradicted statements Monday by Iran's
number-two judge, Hadi Marvi, that some of the more than 20 newspapers
and magazines could be allowed to re-open >>>
FULL TEXT
August 16
Radical daily resumes publication in reformist guise
TEHRAN, Aug 16 (AFP) - A radical daily which ceased publication last
year reappeared Wednesday expressing support for the reforms of President
Mohammad Khatami. Jahan-e-Eslam (World of Islam) said it was now the organ
of the Association of Partisan Forces of the Imam (APFI), a group formed
in 1997 at the time of Khatami's election >>>
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August 15
Press courts carry on press crackdown
TEHRAN, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Iran's hardline Press Court opened a new
case against a convicted publisher on Tuesday, one day after a top judiciary
official suggested the crackdown on the pro-reform press could be winding
down. The court summoned Mohammad Reza Zohdi, sentenced last month to four
months in jail on separate press charges, to answer new allegations. His
Arya newspaper was closed for good >>>
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August 15
Relatives of jailed journalists working for release
TEHRAN, Aug 15 (AFP) - Relatives of Iran's jailed journalists have banded
together to form a new association to work for their release, the group
said in a statement Tuesday. The Association of Families of Detained Journalists
said in a statement received by AFP that it expected members of the journalist's
guild as well as members of parliament to participate in the group's work
>>>
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August 15
Journalist group criticizes Iran press clampdown
PARIS (Reuters) - International media watchdog Reporters without Borders
(RsF) Monday accused Iran's supreme leader of turning his country into
a huge jail for journalists and published an Internet petition seeking
the release of those held. The Paris-based RsF, which also called for an
end to a crackdown on pro-reform newspapers, said 14 Iranian journalists
were being held and another 16 faced prosecution and possible arrest >>> FULL
TEXT
August 15
Reformers seek to protect free press
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - In a daring move after an order from Iran's supreme
leader to drop a debate on press freedoms, reformist lawmakers presented
a bill Tuesday that aims to block the hard-line judiciary from closing
reformist newspapers. Legislators submitted an ``extremely urgent'' motion
to the parliament, or Majlis, seeking a debate on whether it was legal
to close newspapers under the Security Measures Law, the official Islamic
Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted a lawmaker as saying >>>
FULL TEXT
August 14
Courts may let some banned newspapers re-open
TEHRAN, Aug 14 (AFP) - The conservative courts will allow several newspapers
closed in the recent press crackdown to begin publishing again, the nation's
number two judge said on Monday. "Following talks with the chief justice,
some papers whose preliminary investigations have been completed will be
authorised to resume their activities," deputy chief justice Hadi
Marvi said, cited by the official IRNA news agency
>>> FULL TEXT
August 14
Judge bans reformist book
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A hard-line judge has banned the sale of a book
that implicates former government officials in the 1998 murders of five
dissidents, the author's wife and publisher said Saturday. Judge Saeed
Mortazavi did not give any reasons for imposing the ban on ``Tragedy of
Democracy in Iran'' by Emadeddin Baqi, Baqi's wife, Fatemeh Kamali, said
>>>
FULL TEXT
August 14
Newspaper folds because of financial difficulties
TEHRAN, Aug 14 (AFP) - A newspaper geared towards housewives has stopped
publishing because of financial problems, the state news agency IRNA said
Monday. "We have done all we could do, sold all we could sell, but
the expenses are too much and we cannot continue," said Hossein Ferdos,
director Sobh-e-Khanevadeh, or Family Morning >>>
FULL TEXT
August 13
List of journalists and politicians jailed or facing charges
TEHRAN, Aug 13 (AFP) - The arrest Sunday of two pro-reform Iranian journalists
is the latest in a series of legal measures against top writers and politicians
in the Islamic republic. Herewith is a partial list of others already in
jail or facing charges >>>
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August 13
Opposition movement calls on leader to repeal press decree
TEHRAN, Aug 13 (AFP) - An Iranian opposition movement on Sunday called
on supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to reconsider his decree banning
the new pro-reform parliament from rolling back tough curbs on the press.
The banned but tolerated Iran Freedom Movement (IFM), in an open letter
to Khamenei, blasted his "interference in the affairs of the elected
parliament.">>>
FULL TEXT
August 10
International criticism mounts over crackdown on Iran's press
NICOSIA, Aug 10 (AFP) - International criticism is mounting over a continuing
crackdown on the reformist Iranian press by the country's conservative
Islamic regime. After months of successive newspaper closures and the jailing
of journalists, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sunday issued
a shock decree banning the new reformist-dominated parliament from carrying
out plans to overturn the country's tough press laws >>>
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August 9
Amnesty expresses concern over arrest of journalists
Amnesty International, 9 August 2000 -- In a renewed crackdown on freedom
of speech in Iran, the authorities have arrested three prominent journalists.
One of them is diabetic, and has reportedly found it difficult to obtain
insulin in custody. Amnesty International considers the three men to be
prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the legitimate expression
of their opinions >>>
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Behnoud held as crackdown goes on
TEHRAN, Aug 9 (AFP) - Iran's supreme court approved a two and a half-year
prison term Wednesday for reformist journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin,
a judicial official said. Meanwhile the press court issued a warrant for
Masud Behnud, a liberal writer close to President Mohammad Khatami, saying
he would be arrested if he does not appear in court by Saturday >>>
FULL TEXT
Shamsolvaezin sentence confirmed, Behnoud summoned
TEHRAN, Aug 9 (AFP) - Iran's supreme court approved a two and a half-year
prison term Wednesday for reformist journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin,
a judicial official said. Meanwhile the press court issued a warrant for
Masud Behnud, a liberal writer close to President Mohammad Khatami, saying
he would be arrested if he does not appear in court by Saturday >>> FULL TEXT
August 8
Reformist MP quits post over conservative onslaught on press
TEHRAN, Aug 8 (AFP) - The head of Iran's parliamentary commission for
culture, Ahmad Pour-Nejati, resigned his post Tuesday to protest against
recent conservative-led attacks against pro-reformers and press. "I
have resigned from my post as president of the commission in order to defend
parliament," the deputy said at the beginning of the parliamentary
session >>>
FULL TEXT
Hard-liners demonstrate
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Hard-liners protesting outside parliament called
on Tuesday for the death and expulsion of reformists who dared challenge
an order from Iran's supreme leader that squelched debate on easing the
country's restrictive press law. In a second day of protests outside the
legislature, demonstrators called for the execution of lawmaker Mohammad
Rashidian, who sought to debate the proposed changes two days ago. ``Traitor
Rashidian must be executed!'' the protesters shouted >>>
FULL TEXT
August 7
By Nazila Fathi
The New York Times
August 7, 2000
Quashing a cherished goal of President Mohammad Khatami and his reformist
allies, Iran's supreme religious leader today sided conclusively with the
country's conservatives and ordered Parliament to scrap a bill aimed at
restoring a free press.
The surprise intervention by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's top
Muslim cleric, stunned reformers who had hoped to use their newly won strength
in Parliament to revive the once vigorous liberal press >>>
FULL TEXT
Press group protests Iranian failure to free media
VIENNA, Aug 7 (AFP) - The International Press Institute (IPI) expressed
deep concern Monday over Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's decision
to ban the reformist parliament from rolling back a series of tough press
curbs. The Vienna-based lobbying group, in an open letter to Khamenei calling
on him to re-introduce the legislation, lamented a series of incidents
including the banning of a pro-reform newspaper and the arrest of a journalist
>>>
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"Demonstration" at parliament to support curbs on press
TEHRAN, Aug 7 (AFP) - Hundreds of people rallied outside the Iranian
parliament Monday in support of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
a day after he quashed reformist hopes of repealing the nation's tough
press laws. The crowd chanted "US-style reforms, Never, never!"
and "Woe the day that my leader gives me the command for jihad (holy
war). The world's armies will not be able to stop me.">>>
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Courts vow to stamp out press "corruption"
TEHRAN, Aug 7 (AFP) - Iran's conservative-dominated judiciary announced
Monday it was determined to stamp out "corrupt" elements working
in collusion with the foreign press, state radio reported. "Some of
these elements are at the origin of propaganda campaigns against the regime
and cooperate with foreign media such as the Voice of America and Israeli
radio, the BBC and Radio Free Iran," said Abbas Alizadeh, head of
the judiciary in Tehran province >>>
FULL TEXT
Reformist writer detained in Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Bolstered by an order from Iran's supreme leader
that undercut hopes of greater press freedom, hard-liners arrested a liberal
journalist and shut down a reformist newspaper on Monday. Using powers
granted by the restrictive press law the reformers had hoped to ammend,
plainclothes security forces arrested journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi at his
home Monday >>>
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Female reporters criticise inequality of sexes
TEHRAN, Aug 7 (AFP) - Women reporters marked national journalists' day
here Monday by condemning the "inequality of the sexes" in the
workplace, the official IRNA news agency reported. "Despite all the
slogans, an inequality of the sexes exists between journalists performing
the same work," said Maryam Afshari, a staff member at the government-run
Iran daily >>>
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August 5
Eshkevari detained
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A liberal Iranian writer and cleric was detained
Saturday for attending a controversial Berlin conference on Iran, his son
said. The official Islamic Republic News Agency confirmed the arrest of
Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari, saying he was taken to Tehran's Evin prison for
investigation on security charges >>>
FULL TEXT
August 3
Sahabi demands his release from prison
TEHRAN, Aug 3 (AFP) - A leading opposition figure jailed for taking
part in a controversial political seminar abroad has demanded his release
from prison, his lawyer said in a statement received by AFP on Thursday.
Ezzatollah Sahabi is still in prison although all others arrested for participating
in the Berlin seminar that shocked conservatives have since been freed
on bail, his lawyer said >>>
FULL TEXT
August 2
Iranian progressive released on bail
TEHRAN, Aug 2 (AFP) - Taghi Rahmani, a member of Iran's progressive
opposition, was released late Tuesday after 24 hours in jail for "insulting
the supreme leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the official IRNA news
agency reported. Rahmani, who had been arrested and imprisoned Monday in
the central town of Shahr-e Kord, was released on bail, his lawyer Mohammad-Ali
Jedari said cited by the agency >>>
FULL TEXT
August 1
Reformist editor sentenced to four months in jail
TEHRAN, Aug 1 (AFP) - Tehran's press court sentenced the publisher of
the banned reformist daily Arya to a four-month jail term and a ban on
further press activities, newspapers reported Tuesday. Hamid Reza Zohdi
was found guilty of "provoking public opinion, publishing malicious
lies, insulting the state, eroding the regime of the Islamic Republic and
(printing) anti-state propaganda >>>
FULL TEXT
New reformist newspaper banned in Iran
TEHRAN, Aug 1 (Reuters) - An Iranian revolutionary court has banned
a provincial reformist newspaper which had tried to shed light on alleged
corruption and mismanagement in the Islamic republic, the former daily
said in a fax on Tuesday. Ruzdara, the only independent newspaper in Sistan-
Baluchestan, a poverty-stricken province in southeastern Iran, was forced
to stop publishing last Thursday by a court decree >>>
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