Iran: New Daily Suspends Publication After Ministry Warning

"Ruzgar" editorial staff inspect the first issue on October 16 (AFP) October 19, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- A new daily newspaper in Iran has suspended its publication just three days into its print run after the Culture Ministry told it that it could not cover political news. Many of the "Ruzgar" (Times) employees were former contributors to a leading reformist daily, "Sharq," that authorities shut down in September.

Officials' quick intervention has fueled suspicion that they simply won't tolerate a moderate voice on Iranian newsstands.

The ministry's warning came in a letter that said the "Ruzgar" license does not include political coverage and thus prohibits it from publishing political news.

In the face of that threat, its managers decided to suspend publication after just three issues.

Iran's ILNA news agency excerpted the ministry's letter on October 18 and reported that "Ruzgar" would begin appearing without political coverage. But ILNA soon removed the story from its website and said it should not be used.

A "Ruzgar" editor, Abdolreza Tajik, told AFP that the decision to suspend publication was made after warnings to avoid politics and to change the newspaper's format.

"Ruzgar" politics staffer Mohammad Atrianfar accused the Culture Ministry of "tightening the noose [on] reformists." He said that at least two other conservative papers with similar licenses, "Hamshahri" and "Jame Jam," cover political events.

Atrianfar headed the policymaking committee of the now-defunct reformist daily "Sharq," and he noted that authorities still have not announced legal reasons for that newspaper's closure.

Beleaguered Existence

The "Ruzgar" launch had been characterized as the entry of a moderate daily to a market that has witnessed many closures. More than 100 reformist and moderate publications have been shut down by Iranian authorities in recent years.

"Sharq" was one of the most recent closures, and most of the "Ruzgar" staff comprises former "Sharq" contributors.

Mashalloah Shamsolvaezin, a prominent journalist and former editor of four banned dailies, is also a spokesman for the Society to Defend Press Freedom. He tells RFE/RL that the targeting of "Ruzgar" demonstrates that powerful conservatives will not tolerate criticism or dissent.

"Our friends should have come to the conclusion by now that [conservatives] are opposed to the intellectual current of 'Sharq' and 'Ruzgar' and not to their mastheads. Conservatives are only satisfied with a single-voice media that is led by the establishment, so they will fight any effort to bring different voices to the media. One example is the fact that they couldn't even tolerate the very moderate publications 'Sharq' and 'Ruzgar.'"

"Ruzgar" was launched as a 24-page color daily. Representatives had insisted it was not meant to be a substitute for "Sharq." But just weeks before its launch, a conservative daily reported that "Sharq" was returning to publication under the new title "Ruzgar."

Selective Enforcement

A moderate news website, roozna.ir, has cast doubt on the ministry's claim, saying Iran's press law allows newspapers with cultural and social content to publish two pages of political news. Roozna.ir adds that "Ruzgar" appears to have been deprived of that right.

Reza Moini is an Iran specialist with French media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). He describes the Culture Ministry's order against "Ruzgar" as an excuse to prevent journalists from doing their work, and says it comes amid increasing pressure on reporters.

"[On October 18] we said in a statement about three other publications whose journalists have been harassed that the Islamic republic uses all the possibilities and tools at its disposal to prevent publications and journalists from expressing themselves freely," Moini says. The "Ruzgar" "case is the same. The excuse that the publication should not have political pages is really laughable."

RSF notes that six journalists have been arrested in Iran in recent weeks. It accuses Iranian authorities of shutting down media that "do not defend the government's vision of the Islamic revolution" and arresting journalists "without warrants and without reason."

Chilling Stories

Moini tells RFE/RL that state pressure on journalists is resulting in harassment and self-censorship.

"When they arrest a journalist and then put him under interrogation and then free him on a heavy bail -- but he can be sent back to prison at any time -- how can he work?" Moini asks. "There isn't only self-censorship -- this is imposed censorship."

Iran's government denies that it censors the media and says it welcomes criticism.

Officials have not yet reacted to the suspension of the "Ruzgar" print run, and the daily's managers have not said whether it will return.

The European Union roundly criticized Tehran as recently as October 5 for closing newspapers and harassing journalists.