Press Court Hears Charges Against Fat'h Editor, Ruling Expected
Representatives of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Basij (volunteer forces), Society of Ziarat al-Yassin, head of the Electoral Supervisory Board in Isfahan and private plaintiffs Mohammadreza Rashvand (tape seller) and Firouz Aslani, faculty member of the Law and Political Science Department of Tehran University who had earlier lodged complaint against fath attended the Press Court session.
Members of the Press Jury Asgar-Oladi, Shahidi, Nasseri, Kassaeian, Shobeiri, Shourjeh, Zakani, Do'agou, and Mrs. Fatemeh Karrubi were also present at the court hearing.
The defendant challenged the accusation of desecration of the sanctities brought against him by the prosecutor and said that the charge concerns only Prophet Mohammad (S) and Holy Mary (SA) adding that Imam Ali (AS) had forbidden any action against those who might insult him, the first Imam of Prophet Mohammad infallible household.
Eslami asked the court to drop the charge of desecration of the sanctities from the list of the press charges and said that the charge blocks the freedom in the press.
The prosecutor dismissed Eslami's defense and said that the articles published in the daily has challenged the political officials of the Islamic Republic and made attempts to implicate government officials in the serial murders.
Defense lawyer Amir Hossein-Abadi rejected the prosecutor's statement that Eslami has accused the officials of the Islamic Republic of ordering the serial murders adding that the prosecutor should prove his accusation against the defendant.
The judge called on the defendant to deliver his final defense, then Eslami took the podium and said, "What I have done in Fat'h daily had been to serve the Islamic Republic of Iran. The business of journalism is to study the social issues with a critical approach and it should not be interpreted as an action against the Islamic Republic."
(IRNA)