An Iranian court has banned Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, the director of the radical weekly “Payam-e-Daneshjoue”, from working at any publication for a period of five years. He was also ordered to pay a fine of US$ 3,300 for the “publication of lies and for disturbing the public order.” Tabarzadi had initially been sentenced to one year […]
An Iranian court has banned Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, the director
of the radical weekly “Payam-e-Daneshjoue”, from working at any
publication for a period of five years. He was also ordered to
pay a fine of US$ 3,300 for the “publication of lies and for
disturbing the public order.” Tabarzadi had initially been
sentenced to one year in prison; however, the court annulled that
sentence in virtue of the fact that he is a veteran of the Iran-
Iraq war.
The judgment handed down against Tabarzadi follows the 20 May
decision by Iran’s Media Monitoring Committee to ban “Payam-e-
Daneshjoue” for three months for “repeated infringements of the
press law.” The weekly is well-known for its critical reporting
of high-ranking officials in Iran (see IFEX alert dated 21 May
1996).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
against Heshmatollah Tabarzadi is reversed as soon as possible
and that the weekly be allowed to resume publication
Appeals To
His Excellency Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of IranHis Excellency Mr. Ali Besharati
Minister of Interior
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
care of the Iranian diplomatic representative in your country
(in France)
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
4, avenue d’Iena
75116 Paris, France
Fax: +33 1 40 70 01 57
(in Canada)
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
245 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2K2 Canada
Fax: +1 613 232 5712
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
