Iran confirms ban on Shahrvand-e Emruz weekly
Published: Sunday, November 09, 2008
Iran confirms ban on Shahrvand-e Emruz weekly
20:30GMT--3:00PM/EST
PRESS - BAN - SHAHRVAND-E EMRUZ
Washington, 9 November (IranVNC)--Iran's Press Supervisory Board yesterday sent a letter to a prominent pro-reform weekly magazine, Shahrvand-e Emruz [Today's Citizen], confirming its decision to ban the publication, the pro-reform Kargozaaran newspaper reported.
It was banned because of content "contrary to the previous commitments of the publisher," the newspaper wrote.
Last week, two semi-official news agencies, Fars and Mehr, reported that the weekly had been closed on charges of "unrealistic portrayal of some actions of the government".
Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabataba'i, the attorney for Shahrvand-e Emruz, said last week that the publication was closed for "publishing political articles."
Iran's Islamic Guidance Ministry had reported that the weekly magazine held only an "economic, societal, cultural and sports-related" publishing licence, and was therefore not allowed to publish political articles.
Shahrvand-e Emruz is supported by the Kargozaaran [Executives of Construction] Party, which is affiliated with Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of two of Iran's most important political bodies, the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts.
Sources: Kargozaaran Newspaper
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