Iran completes exercises near Iraq, new parliament calls for press freedom
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Wednesday, June 21, 2000
NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has launched the last phase of its five-day Kheibar
exercise while in Tehran the newly-elected parliament has called for freedom of
the press.
The exercise was held in the Gilan Gharb exercise in western Iran and
included armored, infantry and commando units of the Iranian Army. The
exercise was held over a 300 square kilometer area near the Iraqi border.
Iranian commanders said the war games included helicopters, artillery,
tanks and electronic warfare systems. They said in the exercise, air force
fighter-bombers struck mock enemy targets while artillery provided support.
At the same time, commando units launched an offensive backed by
helicopters.
The commanders said the maneuvers included night-fighting as well as the
defusing of mine fields.
In Teheran, a majority of 290 members of parliament voted on Sunday to change a
harsh press law and they ordered the judiciary to reopen pro-reform
newspapers closed in a hard-line crackdown in April.
"The closure of 18 publications with a circulation of more than one
million copies per day can only be likened to closing society's schools,"
Ahmad Bourqani, a member of parliament and a former deputy minister of
culture for press affairs said. "Ideas must not be forced underground...A
strong independent press is necessary to defend the basic rights of the
people and create grounds for the law to be respected [by the state]."
A letter, signed by at least 150 parliamentarians, urging conservative
judiciary head Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to ease press laws and
respect the rights of political prisoners, was also presented to parliament
on Sunday.
"It is the minimum right of suspects to enjoy the protection of the law,
but when a part of the judiciary -- which is supposed to guarantee legal
rights -- denies the suspects their rights, then to whom can we complain?"
the letter said. "The news ... concerning the unjustifiable behavior towards
the prisoners causes deep concern in society and creates mistrust towards
the judiciary and the state."
Meanwhile, Iranian officials said security forces killed two suspected
members of the opposition Mujahdeen Khalq during a mission in western Iran.
The officials said the squad intended to bomb government installations in
Kermanshah, including the headquarters of the Iranian security forces.
Iranian security forces found hand grenades, radio equipment and a large
amount of cash after the clash.
Wednesday, June 21, 2000
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