Reports: Iran Bars Ex-President Khatami From Leaving Country

Mohammad Khatami

An Iranian pro-reform website says former President Mohammad Khatami was barred from leaving the country ahead of a trip he planned to make to Japan for a nuclear disarmament conference.

Parlemannews.ir website of the reformist bloc in parliament quoted an unnamed source. It did not provide details or reasons given for the travel ban.

According to RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports, parlemannews.ir is run by relatives of Khatami.

Separately, French news agency AFP quoted an anonymous source as saying that the "police have informed Khatami that he may not leave the country."

There has been no immediate confirmation from official media of the order. Khatami, 66, backed former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Musavi against incumbent Mahmud Ahmadinejad in last June's presidential election.

compiled from agency reports