TEHRAN -- A senior Iranian MP says he will be exonerated in a case where he is accused of running anti-state propaganda.

Speaking after a court session, Ahmad Tavakoli expressed happiness over how the session had progressed, ISNA reported Sunday.

The right-wing lawmaker has been accused by Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Hamid Baghaei, and Saeed Mortazavi (all allies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) of running “propaganda against the state”.

He explained that most of the accusations were based on comments posted on his news website “Alef”.

Criticizing his accusers, Tavakoli said that if the freedom of press is violated, corruption will stay hidden, only to erupt later “like festering boils”.

“I will be exonerated of all charges because I have done nothing wrong,” he stressed.

“Javanfekr has left me to the justice of God. Mashaei and Baghaei, seeing the case is taking long, said they had no hope and withdrew their pleas,” he said.

SP/P