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Alert

Two leading reformist dailies and one monthly suspended indefinitely

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has strongly condemned the Iranian regime's suspension of two leading reformist dailies, "Vaghayeh ettefaghieh" and "Jomhouriat", and the monthly "Aftab". The organisation said the move heralds "a new wave of repression" and called for the immediate lifting of the suspensions.

RSF said the dailies' suspensions were an example of the "deplorable blackmail used by Iran's so-called justice system" and of "the determination of the regime's conservative hardliners to silence any source of the independent media, particularly during the sham trial of the accused killer of Canadian-Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi."

On 17 July 2004, "Vaghayeh ettefaghieh" was suspended indefinitely for "anti-regime propaganda", "publishing false news" and "insulting the Supreme Guide". The paper is largely staffed by journalists from the reformist daily "Yas-e no", which was itself suspended on 18 February, the eve of parliamentary elections. "Vaghayeh ettefaghieh" has sharply criticised conservative hardliners and the new Parliament, which is dominated by their supporters.

On 18 July, "Jomhouriat", a new daily that had published only 12 issues, was suspended on the same charges. The suspension came only days after publisher Javad Khorami Moaghadam was summoned by Tehran Prosecutor Said Mortazavi, who demanded in vain that Moaghadam dismiss the paper's editor-in-chief, Emadoldin Baghi. On 15 July, "Jomhouriat" had begun publishing the introduction to RSF's 2004 annual report.

On 4 December 2003, the Tehran Revolutionary Court gave Baghi a one-year suspended prison sentence. The court gave no reason for the sentence. The authorities have frequently summoned the journalist in an effort to silence him. On 23 October 2000, Baghi was sentenced to three years in prison for "undermining national security" and "circulating false news".

Since his release on 6 February 2003, Baghi has been an active human rights campaigner, using the reformist press to denounce freedom of expression violations and founding an organisation to defend political prisoners.

On 11 July, the monthly "Aftab" was suspended for "insulting the Supreme Guide" and "circulating false news". "Aftab" had been published since 2000 by a group of writers and intellectuals. In 2003, "Aftab" editor Issa Saharkhiz was arrested for "propaganda against the regime".