Iranian Newspaper Criticizes Iran’s Military Intervention in Syria

The Middle East Monitor today published excerpts from an editorial by the Iranian newspaper Bahar, which criticizes the country’s military intervention in Syria, a first in Iranian media.

“Iranian military leaders went to Syria for military consultations,” the newspaper said. “But we see the most of the Iranian military officers were killed in the battlefield in Aleppo.” (Bahar/middleeastmonitor.com, 29 October)

The Iranian military is leading major offensives around Aleppo in the past three weeks. More than 30 IRGC officers and servicemen have been killed in action during this period, including three general officers.

“If Iran needs to protect its interests in the region, and for this must protect the Syrian regime, Iran could support a new regime without Assad,” Bahar said.

File photo: Funeral procession for an IRGC serviceman killed in action in Syria (middleeastmonitor.com)

Iran Shuts Down Ebtekar, A Reformist Newspaper

Iran banned reformist newspaper Ebtekar on Saturday for spreading “lies.” The charge of spreading lies generally means the Iranian authorities were not all that happy about the paper’s reporting and its reformist political leaning.

“I received a note from media court which said a ban has been imposed on the daily for spreading lies,” Mohammad Ali Vakili, managing director of Ebtekar said in Tehran (ISNA, 27 April.)

Ebtekar’s closing makes it third reformist newspaper to be shut down by authorities in recent months. In February, the reformist daily "Aseman" was banned. "Bahar," another reformist newspaper, was closed down in October.

Photo credit: Ebtekar’s front page. (RFE/RL)

Bahar Editor Arrested

Saeed Pourazizi, editor-in-chief of Bahar daily, was arrested today in Tehran and sent to the notorious Evin prison, ISNA reported. The newspaper was shut down on Monday by government censors.

In its 23 October edition, the paper had published an op-ed piece entitled, “Imam, a Political Leader or a Religious Model?”

Image credit: Bahar’s front page (Radio Farda)

Iran Security Forces Raid Independent Newspapers

In concerted attacks on independent press, Iran’s security forces on Sunday raided offices of five newspapers in Tehran and arrested at least nine journalists. The attacks came within a day after the authorities suspended the popular news site Tabnak and also arrested the political editor of the news agency ILNA.

The five newspapers whose offices were raided today are Etemad, Bahar, Sharq, Aseman and Arman. (In the photo, Sharq and Etemad are seen in the middle row).

The journalists arrested are Javad Daliri, Sasan Aghaie, Nasrin Takhiri, Motahareh Shafie, Nargues Jodaki, Emilie Emraie, Pouria Alami, Pejman Mousavi and Saba Azar-Peyk.

Tabnak is a conservative news site published by former IRGC commander and presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaie. The site has kept its independence from the hardline orthodoxy of pro-regime press.

ILNA is a semi-official news agency known for its independent reporting. Its political editor Milad Fadaie Asr was arrested on Saturday on the street by security agents and was transferred to the notorious Evin prison.

Note: The raid on independent press comes as top issues in the upcoming presidential election are getting wide coverage in the press. The authorities seem to want to eliminate all those voices and keep the likes of right-wing Kayhan and Fars News Agency to “cover” the June presidential election and the economic, political and security issues facing the country.