Iran Parliament’s Bid to Ease Press Curbs Quashed

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday abruptly ended a bid by parliament to ease restrictions on the press--one of the pro-reform majority’s central campaign promises.

Deputies had scheduled a debate and vote on amendments to a draconian press law passed in the last days of the outgoing, conservative legislature. Passage was virtually assured.

But the last-minute intervention of Khamenei, who has final say in key matters of state, forced an indefinite suspension of the matter amid shouted protests and even scuffles on the floor of the chamber.

“If the enemies infiltrate our press, this will be a big danger to the country’s security and the people’s religious beliefs. I do not deem it right to keep silent,” the leader said in a letter to parliament.

“The present press law has succeeded to a point to prevent this big plague. The [proposed] bill is not legitimate and in the interests of the system and the revolution.”

Pro-reform deputies used the start of the open session to force the leadership to read the letter into the public record, something almost unthinkable in the past.

Speaker Mehdi Karrubi, a veteran revolutionary cleric who was appointed in a compromise vote over the wishes of more militant reformers, said deputies had no choice but to submit to Khamenei’s will.