Tehran - Iran's clerical conservatives, emboldened by parliament's approval of tough new press restrictions, have struck a blow at moderate President Mohammad Khatami with the closure of the newspaper that helped his meteoric rise to power.
The Special Court for Clergy banned indefinitely yesterday the daily Salam, organ of old guard left-wing clerics, after it printed details of what it said was a secret plan by hardliners to muzzle the pro-reform press.
The court charged Salam with violating Islamic principles, endangering national security and disturbing public opinion. A night editor was also detained, Salam journalists said.
The court cited a complaint by the intelligence ministry after the daily published what it said was a secret memo that detailed efforts by an official, said to have later committed suicide in jail, to rein in the moderate media.