TEHRAN Members of the Association of Iranian lawyers defending the human rights on monday inspceted the Islamic Republic News Agency (irna) headquarters. Head of the associaiton, nabiollah ahmadloo, said if a soceity wants to take a lead in the Islamic world in defence of Islam its information dissemination system should be acurate and powerfull. Lauding efforts of irna officials and reporters, ahmadloo said information dissemination is the most effective way to reinforce the people's rihgts.

Head of the asociation of the lawyers said the prophet of Islam, Hazrat Mohammad (s) was the best messenger of human rights and iran shoudl try to improve its image regarding the human rights issue, thus foiling negative propaganda and form an internatinoal organisation. The association of lawyers defending the human rights is a Non-Governmental Organization which started actvity in 1997 with its members being mainly lawyers and atorneys.

IRNA Managing Director Fereydoun Verdinejad brief the lawyers on the status of the mass media and emphasised the need to give comprehensive support to reporters and journalists. Upgrading people's legal awareness about their social rights will provide the ground for a civic society, he said stressing that building a civic society is impossible without paying due attention to the individual and social rights of people, verdinejad said.

Verdinejad said, "on the threshold of the 21st century, we need to offer a new definition for the human rights." The IRNA Chief said that "The Iranian cultural institute affiliated to IRNA is ready to help realize the objectives of the association of the Irnaian lawyers difending the human rights.