REFORMIST MM AND OWNER OF NOROOZ NEWSPAPER SENTENCED
BY MOHSEN ASGARY
TEHRAN 10 May Iran's hard line judiciary yesterday sentenced top reformist MM
(Member of the Majles) Mohsen Mirdamadi, the owner of the pro-reform "No
Rooz" newspaper to six month and two days in jail, six months ban on
publishing, a four-year ban of media responsibilities, and the payment of a
financial fine of USD 250 after he was officially convicted of insulting
officials and inciting the public by through his statements to the media.
Mr. Mirdamadi said that he would not appeal the sentence and that he would be ready to serve the term, a reliable source told "Gulf News" yesterday.
Mirdamadi had earlier told that he had information of behind-the-seen negotiations of Iran and U.S., despite the officials' denial.
The source said that by his refusal to appeal the case, Mirdamadi, Head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in the Parliament, would cause a major challenge to the hard line judiciary.
"They had little intention of jailing him, but anticipated instead a lengthy appeals process that would politically embarrass the deputy. Instead, it is now being caught in a legal bind of its own making," the source said.
Mirdamadi stood trial for a battery of charges rose against him including libel, insulting officials and attempting to incite public by violating the election regulations.
The court also issued orders a few days ago to ban another pro-reforms daily "Bonyan".
Apparently, the judiciary dashed reformists' fresh hopes of national reconciliation in which they expected jailed journalists and political activists will be released.
Their hopes were reinforced when judiciary released the members of the Freedom Movement on bail and surprisingly didn't arrest Mr. Ebrahim Yazdi, the leader of opposition who had returned from the U.S. to face trial back home.
The judiciary also cooled down its attack to quasi-state oil company of Petro Pars and its former boss Behzad Nabavi, the most powerful reformist figure in Khatami's camp who was accused of collusion.
Even some prominent conservative figures welcomed the idea of national reconciliation as a general consensus to neutralise U.S. threats that called Iran a part of "axis of evil" along with North Korea and Iraq.
Some other prominent reformists also went one step ahead and talked about breaking the "taboo" of Iran-U.S. relations and their stances were published in reformists' newspapers. Suddenly all such hopes were thrown to the wind.
A Tehran court imprisoned a 73-year-old former journalist, Siamak Pourzand for eight years and issued another 23-month sentence for another reformist journalist Ahmad Zeiydbadi.
Ali Shakoori Rad, a member of Majles presiding board, confirmed that conservatives' previous "iron fist" policy has failed so they have to adopt a new strategy.
In an interview with No Rooz, he said: "Today, conservatives have adopted the policy of carrot and stick to show although they have changed, the new situation is returnable and they can easily turn to their iron fist."
Apparently, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i’s speech on May 1 has prompted the judiciary to crack down again on the reformist press. In that speech the leader came down on those weak figures who advocated reopening of the dialogue with U.S. and the newspapers that are abusing their freedom. ENDS NO ROOZ BANNED 10502