July 2nd, 2009 by Blake

Iran’s government has shut down an opposition newspaper associated with presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi’s party. Etemad Melli was closed in the wake of statements from opposition leaders yesterday, including Karroubi, who labeled the Iranian government “illegitimate.” AFP reports that the government’s action is based on barring Karroubi’s statement from publication.

NIAC has posted news that Etemad Melli also reported recent numbers on prisoners and deaths in Tehran that are higher than governmental statistics. Etemad Melli’s website, which remains online, reports that its editor Mohammad Ghoochani is among the opposition activists and journalists that are currently being detained.

At Democracy Digest, Michael Allen considers the newspaper’s close in the context of declining Iranian democracy, a crisis of legitimacy and the now solidified opposition movement, all of which have been discussed by commentators recently.

Posted in Iran, Middle Eastern Media, Political Parties |