Iran Regime Closes Two More Newspapers
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Iranian authorities Monday ordered the closure of two newspapers they accused of publishing blasphemous content and insulting members of the government. Last month, the Press Supervisory Board, which operates under Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, ordered the prominent daily newspaper Sharq to fire its managing editor, Mohammad Rahmanian, by September 10. Reuters reported that the board had accused Rahmanian of "70 cases of violations, including insulting officials, religious and national figures, publishing blasphemous articles and also articles creating discord." Sharq has reportedly run afoul of the ruling regime on several occasions over the past year for criticizing its position on the country's nuclear program. Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, a spokesman for the Iranian Committee for the Defense of Freedom of the Press, said the closure was a clear message to other critics and reform-minded publications. The Press Supervisory Board on Monday also closed the monthly political newspaper Nameh over similar charges. Nameh's editor, Majid Tavallaei, told the AP that his paper was closed for publishing a poem by a dissident female poet. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement condemning the closures. "There can be no press freedom in a country in which government agencies hir |
