Iran Releases More Detainees; Closes Down Etemad

The Iranian authorities have freed on bail a number of political prisoners in the past two days. Among the detainees released were Mohammad Maleki, the first president of the University of Tehran after the revolution. Maleki, 75, was the oldest person detained during the post-election massive wave of arrest of journalists, academics, human rights activists and political figures and supporters of the Green movement.

Also released from the Evin prison on Monday, were Foad Sadeghi, the renowned journalist, as well as Mohammad Reza Maghsieh, Mahsa Jazini and Mehdi Motamedi Mehr. On Sunday, a group of other prominent journalists, including Mashallah Shamszaezin, Abdol Reza Tajik, Mohammad Jafar Mozaffar, Behrang Tonekaboni and Ali Hekmat, were released after posting heavy bonds.

On Monday, however, the authorities closed down the influential reformist newspaper, Etemad. Later that day, a renowned film director, Jafar Panahi, was arrested.