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TEHRAN (AFP) - Editors of 17 daily, weekly and monthly papers across the political spectrum have been summoned by Iran's conservative press courts, following "complaints lodged by legal and personal entities," the official news agency IRNA reported yesterday. They include publications, which have already been suspended by the courts, as well as others such as the government daily Iran, the conservative Kayhan and the specialist farming periodical Keshavarz, IRNA said. The nature of the complaints against them was not specified in a justice department statement quoted by the agency. The move follows the passing by Iran's outgoing conservative parliament of legislation tightening the screw on the press, which has flourished under reformist President Mohammad Khatami. On Tuesday, courts suspended the moderate Ham-Mihan daily and summoned the head of Khatami's press office, which launched a reformist daily last week. The suspension of Ham-Mihan, run by former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi, brought to 13 the number of dailies shut down since April, the vast majority of them close to Khatami. Another five periodicals have also been closed. The crackdown occurred between the first and second round of parliamentary elections, which saw reformists score a sweeping victory, overturning the conservative majority. The new parliament is to take office next week, with reformists saying they will repeal the new legislation approved on April 18. The measures forbid suspended newspapers to be published under another name, require offenses by the press to be dealt with by the courts, require newspaper licenses to be approved by the intelligence ministry, the courts and the police - all strongholds of the regime's conservatives - and reiterates that the publication of rumor, false information and unconstitutional articles is banned. Individual journalists and others involved in the publication of material deemed offensive or illegal can be hauled before the courts, while the state security court has the power to close down any newspaper immediately for a two-month period. |
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