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TEHRAN: Iran's hardline press watchdog on Monday banned the best-selling reformist daily Etemad and a weekly run by the family of opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi.
"The press watchdog banned Etemad and referred the case to the judiciary for repeated and persistent violations," ISNA news agency said without giving the newspaper's alleged offences.
Etemad, banned for the first time since it was founded eight years ago, is one of the few reformist papers to survive a crackdown on media especially since last year's disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The newspaper was, however, warned a few weeks ago along with several other publications for printing criticism by reformists of the situation after Ahmadinejad's re-election in June 2009.
Etemad (Confidence) was singled out for publishing remarks by former Iranian president turned opposition supporter Mohammad Khatami, saying the country was facing a "crisis."
Press watchdog official Mohammad Ali Ramin told state television that the ban "was a bitter decision for us but it was done due to repeated breaking of the law."
"After repeated warnings and the persistence of the paper in breaching the regulations, the watchdog had no choice but to ban it," said Ramin, who is also the deputy culture minister for media affairs.
"The decision was taken with a degree of leniency... Its licence was not revoked and its case was referred to the judiciary."
The watchdog also revoked the licence of Irandokht (Daughter of Iran) weekly over "not meeting the conditions in the press law on practical commitment to the constitution," ISNA said.
Karroubi's wife Fatemeh and son Hossein first launched Irandokht as a women's lifestyle magazine, but a new editorial team switched its coverage to political and cultural affairs two months ago.
Hossein Karroubi dubbed the revoking of Irandokht's licence as "Ahmadinejad government's revenge on Mr (Mehdi) Karroubi for seeking Iranian people's lost rights after the presidential poll."
"Mr Ramin in talking to my mother over the phone did not come up with any breach of press law (against the weekly) so he told her that Mr Karroubi has taken a very harsh position after the presidential elections against the Islamic republic," Hossein was quoted as saying on the opposition website Rahezabz.net.
Karroubi, who lost to Ahmadinejad in a disputed June 12 election, has repeatedly accused authorities of abusing protesters detained during post-poll protests, including the rape of several male and female detainees. Iranian officials have angrily rejected the rape allegations.
Security forces raided Irandokht's offices in December when the new editor Mohammad Ghoochani took over, and authorities have since jailed one of its journalists, human rights campaigner Emadeddin Baghi.
Reformist newspapers, which burgeoned during Khatami's 1997-2005 presidency, have been shut down one after another under Ahmadinejad. Most leading reformist dailies have been banned.
Dozens of journalists working for the publications have also been jailed since street protests broke out against the June election which the opposition charges was massively rigged in Ahmadinejad's favour.
"The press watchdog banned Etemad and referred the case to the judiciary for repeated and persistent violations," ISNA news agency said without giving the newspaper's alleged offences.
Etemad, banned for the first time since it was founded eight years ago, is one of the few reformist papers to survive a crackdown on media especially since last year's disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The newspaper was, however, warned a few weeks ago along with several other publications for printing criticism by reformists of the situation after Ahmadinejad's re-election in June 2009.
Etemad (Confidence) was singled out for publishing remarks by former Iranian president turned opposition supporter Mohammad Khatami, saying the country was facing a "crisis."
Press watchdog official Mohammad Ali Ramin told state television that the ban "was a bitter decision for us but it was done due to repeated breaking of the law."
"After repeated warnings and the persistence of the paper in breaching the regulations, the watchdog had no choice but to ban it," said Ramin, who is also the deputy culture minister for media affairs.
"The decision was taken with a degree of leniency... Its licence was not revoked and its case was referred to the judiciary."
The watchdog also revoked the licence of Irandokht (Daughter of Iran) weekly over "not meeting the conditions in the press law on practical commitment to the constitution," ISNA said.
Karroubi's wife Fatemeh and son Hossein first launched Irandokht as a women's lifestyle magazine, but a new editorial team switched its coverage to political and cultural affairs two months ago.
Hossein Karroubi dubbed the revoking of Irandokht's licence as "Ahmadinejad government's revenge on Mr (Mehdi) Karroubi for seeking Iranian people's lost rights after the presidential poll."
"Mr Ramin in talking to my mother over the phone did not come up with any breach of press law (against the weekly) so he told her that Mr Karroubi has taken a very harsh position after the presidential elections against the Islamic republic," Hossein was quoted as saying on the opposition website Rahezabz.net.
Karroubi, who lost to Ahmadinejad in a disputed June 12 election, has repeatedly accused authorities of abusing protesters detained during post-poll protests, including the rape of several male and female detainees. Iranian officials have angrily rejected the rape allegations.
Security forces raided Irandokht's offices in December when the new editor Mohammad Ghoochani took over, and authorities have since jailed one of its journalists, human rights campaigner Emadeddin Baghi.
Reformist newspapers, which burgeoned during Khatami's 1997-2005 presidency, have been shut down one after another under Ahmadinejad. Most leading reformist dailies have been banned.
Dozens of journalists working for the publications have also been jailed since street protests broke out against the June election which the opposition charges was massively rigged in Ahmadinejad's favour.
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