Iran Parliament Urges Judiciary to End Abuse of Press
Iran’s new reformist legislature warned the hard-line judiciary Sunday that its “illegal behavior” toward the press has damaged the country’s international image, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
A letter signed by 151 lawmakers called on the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, to “put an end to illegal and politically motivated closure of newspapers.”
Also Sunday, parliament agreed to discuss a bill to amend the press law and lift press restrictions imposed by predecessors.
No date has been set for introducing the measure, which was drawn up last week. The bill will be the first legislative show of commitment to change by the reformers, who swept elections Feb. 18.
The letter was the new parliament’s first strong attack on the judiciary, which ordered the closure of virtually all pro-reform newspapers after the elections.
“Illegal behavior of the Tehran Justice Administration toward the press has not only damaged the judiciary’s credibility in the eyes of the public, but it has also tarnished Iran’s international image,” the official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted the letter as saying.
The letter also expressed “deep concern” over the detention of individuals without the government meeting legal requirements.
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