thr 068                                                               


Iran-Press-Suspension /POL/                                           


   Local weekly suspended for insulting President Khatami, allies    


Qom, Qom Prov., Sept 20, IRNA -- A local weekly in this holy Iranian  


city has been ordered suspended for having insulted President Mohammad


Khatami and two of his allies, the provincial justice administration  


reported Thursday.                                                    


    It said that "Rahiyan-e Feiziyeh" had allegedly insulted President


Khatami, Interior Minister Abdulvahed Mousavi-Lari and the former     


culture minister Ataollah Mohajerani who had to resign under pressure 


from opponents.                                                       


    The weekly had implicitly accused Khatami, Lari and Mohajerani of 


"betraying the religion" over the first tenure of President Khatami   


(Aug 1997-2001).                                                      


    Since April 2000, over 40 papers have been closed on various      


charges of "disparaging Islam and the religious elements of the       


Islamic Revolution." Their directors have been convicted or           


languishing in jail pending trial.                                    


AK/AK                                                                 


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::irna    21:44