Iran has closed down a prominent reformist weekly which has often criticized the policies of conservative President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
Iran's Press Supervisory Board sent a letter on November 8 to the "Shahrvand-e Emrouz" (Today's Citizen) weekly formally informing it of the decision, the "Kargozaran" newspaper said.
It was banned because of content which was "contrary to the previous commitments of the publisher," "Kargozaran" said, without giving specific details.
Since 2000, the Press Supervisory Board and Iranian courts have closed some 100 publications, condemning many as "pawns of the West" and accusing them of trying to undermine Iran's system of clerical rule.
The semi-official Fars News Agency last week said "Shahrvand-e Emrouz," which was first published in March 2007 and employs many journalists who used to work for pro-reform dailies now closed down, had misrepresented some of the government's actions.
There was no immediate comment from "Sharvand-e Emrouz."
In its latest issue published on November 8, the weekly carried a front-page photograph of a smiling U.S. President-elect Barack Obama with one of his daughters.
"Why does Iran not have an Obama?" it asked in an editorial.
(by Reuters)
Iran's Press Supervisory Board sent a letter on November 8 to the "Shahrvand-e Emrouz" (Today's Citizen) weekly formally informing it of the decision, the "Kargozaran" newspaper said.
It was banned because of content which was "contrary to the previous commitments of the publisher," "Kargozaran" said, without giving specific details.
Since 2000, the Press Supervisory Board and Iranian courts have closed some 100 publications, condemning many as "pawns of the West" and accusing them of trying to undermine Iran's system of clerical rule.
The semi-official Fars News Agency last week said "Shahrvand-e Emrouz," which was first published in March 2007 and employs many journalists who used to work for pro-reform dailies now closed down, had misrepresented some of the government's actions.
There was no immediate comment from "Sharvand-e Emrouz."
In its latest issue published on November 8, the weekly carried a front-page photograph of a smiling U.S. President-elect Barack Obama with one of his daughters.
"Why does Iran not have an Obama?" it asked in an editorial.
(by Reuters)
