Region | Iran
Press freedom is 'the best thing for government'
Reacting to the recent closure of several publications in Iran, a prominent reformist journalist said authorities should refer violating publications in Iran to courts instead of banning them immediately without even warning, adding that press freedoms are for the benefit of the government.
- By Jumana Al Tamimi, GCC & Middle East Editor
- Published: 00:16 March 23, 2008
- Reformists and citizens say the only movies being produced now are either action movies, comedies or those that deal with family issues and comedies. Social issues or issues that concern citizens do not have a place, they say.
- Image Credit: Jumana Al Tamimi/Gulf News
Tehran: Reacting to the recent closure of several publications in Iran, a prominent reformist journalist said authorities should refer violating publications in Iran to courts instead of banning them immediately without even warning, adding that press freedoms are for the benefit of the government.
Eisa Saharkhis's interview with Gulf News coincided with a recent report in a reformist newspaper, Etemad Melli, which said the government has banned nine Iranian film and art magazines and warned several more of violating law and press regulations.
The ban came after the magazines were accused of publishing "obscene" pictures and articles about Hollywood celebrities, and for publishing certain advertisements, including advertisements for drugs that don't have the approval of the Ministry of Health, Melli said.
"[Press] freedom is the best thing for government," said Saharkhis, a reformist.
"If the publications are bad, send them to court; follow the constitution of Iran, which says so. It will be for the jury to decide whether to close the paper or not," he added, noting that the mass ban will increase the unemployment problem.
Legal action
Two publications of Saharkhis, Aftab and Akhbar Eqtisadi, were banned in the past few years, as well as nearly 10 publications he worked for in their editorial teams.
Saharkhis himself faced legal action in 2006 after he was charged under several counts, including writing articles "against the constitution" and "propaganda against the religious system in Iran", according to the website of the association of Iran journalists.
He was stopped from his press duties for several years. Saharkhis was a senior official at the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for the internal press during the first years of former reformist president Mohammad Khatami's term.
"That time, there were many requests to issue independent newspapers, and after less than one year, circulation of all newspapers jumped from 1.2 million copies per day to 3.5 million copies per day," he said. "It shows that people read [reports] on internal issues, but when [the papers] are closed, what happens to these readers? They hear the news, but from where? From Iranian media based outside the country," Saharkhis said.
Many newspapers and magazines were banned in the past for criticising the government, said Iranian journalists, adding that the ban is not allowed automatically by law.
Regulations, according to journalists, state that the Press Supervision Board at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has the authority to close the publication when it insults the late spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini or the present spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini. Otherwise, they will be sent to court. The concerned authorities could also warn the publication first, and in case of repetition they close them down.
"This is not according to the law," Iranian Professor Kampeez Norozi, was quoted as saying in a report by the Iranian Student News Agency (Isna) on the closure of the nine magazines.
Film production
"They don't close a shop like that without warning," the same report quoted Ali Mua'alem, Editor-In-Chief of one of the nine banned magazines, as saying, stressing that his magazine has not been warned or given information on the violation. News of the ban was published before notifying his magazine, he said.
Even "before sacrificing a sheep, they feed it and give it water before sacrificing [slaughtering] it", added Mua'alem, whose magazines had been sold on the stands for 17 years.
Discussing certain issues is a sensitive issue for film production, said Saharkhis.
"Producers and directors are having problems," he said. "In the last [cinema festival earlier this year], we didn't have any good movie. They are just pushing directors to make action movies because they can't talk about social matters," he added.
Several citizens agreed and noted that the movies being produced now are also dealing with family issues or they are comedies. Increasing number of people, they added, are installing satellite dishes to watch different channels.
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