Iranian opposition daily resumes work after 15-month ban

Jun 18, 2011, 11:56 GMT

Tehran - An Iranian opposition daily resumed work on Saturday after a 15-month ban.

The license of the newspaper Etemad (Trust) was revoked in March last year, but a Tehran court this month ruled in favour of its renewed publication.

Etemad owner Elias Hazrati, a former reformist-oriented parliament deputy, wrote in an editorial Saturday that he was lucky that 'a fair judge' ordered the resumption of his daily's publication.

Hazrati said in the editorial that, despite its critical approach, the daily would respect national interests and not challenge the establishment.

Former president Mohammad Khatami praised the restart of the daily and hoped that it would continue to inform its readers 'truthfully.'

Reformist dailies in Iran are usually closed under the pretext of having insulted religious and political figures or fomenting public discord and working outside the press law. Such charges led to Etemad's closure.

The local press is restricted in reporting about the opposition. Foreign media have been banned since July 2009 from directly covering activities by the opposition, especially its street protests.

The government has accused some foreign media of having staged a 'soft war' against the Islamic establishment, through false and exaggerated reports about internal political rifts.