TEHRAN - … Culture minister said on Wednesday he feared the trial of Abdollah Nouri by a clerical court may end in Nouri's conviction and the closure of his newspaper.

"Unfortunately I am not optimistic, but we will just have to wait till (October 20) when the trial will be held," said Ataollah Mohajerani.

The clerical court has indicted Nouri, a key adviser to Khatami, on political and religious charges.

If convicted, Nouri could face lashes and up to 11 years in prison, legal experts said.
 

Tehran Campus Revue Trial to Open Soon, Agence France Presse, October 13

TEHRAN - Suspects held over a "blasphemous" play published in a Tehran student revue will appear in court next week, the official IRNA news agency reported Wednesday.

"The accused from the student magazine Moj will be publicly tried on Wednesday before Judicial Section 1,410," a section of the courts reserved for press cases, the news agency said.

"After a thorough cross-examination, the accused confessed to being guilty of the profane acts," the ministry said.
 

Press Crackdown Condemned, Inter Press Service, October 12

NEW YORK - Attacks on press in Iran were becoming more frequent, Human Rights Watch (HRW), the New York-based rights group, said today.

The HRW report -- titled "As Fragile as a Crystal Glass: Press Freedom in Iran" -- argued that newspaper closures and harassment of journalists had increased after Khatami’s election in 1997.

"The ability of the press to serve as an avenue of free expression has see-sawed dramatically since… Khatami took office," the report said.
 

Prosecutor Charges Pro-Khatami Editor, Agence France Presse, October 13

TEHRAN - Prosecutors have formally pressed charges against editor Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, who has defied three court-imposed bans on his papers by bringing out new titles, the judiciary announced.

"The editor-in-chief of the (now banned) daily Neshat will be prosecuted and tried in the presence of other journalists," the judiciary said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

He faces charges of insulting the fundamental teachings of Islam and of aiding and abetting such an insult, the news agency said.
 
 

Paper: France Lacks Honesty And Sincerity, Tehran Times, October 11

There is a controversy about the details of… Khatami’s visit to France. What has given rise to this controversy is the French government’s certain reservations. The TEHRAN TIMES was recently told by a reliable source that… Khatami will visit France at the invitation of his French counterpart President Jacques Chirac.

But several contradictory statements have so far been made by the French officials in this regard. In one of these statements, they said Khatami will travel to Paris at the invitation of UNESCO Chief Federico Mayor, and on the sidelines of the UNESCO general conference, he will meet with Chirac.

Also, after the TEHRAN TIMES broke the news that there will be no wine on the table during the state banquet in Paris,’ French sources distorted the facts by saying that there will no formal lunch or dinner during Khatami’s visit to France…

Unfortunately, France lacks honesty and sincerity, which are the essential ingredients for fruitful bilateral relations.
 

Mullahs’ Agents in Palestinian Territories Preparing Attacks: Report, Agence France Presse, October 13

JERUSALEM - Israel suspects that Iran has sent agents from a special unit to the Palestinian territories in order to prepare attacks against Jews, the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot reported Wednesday.

"Iran sent terrorists who look like Europeans to the (Palestinian) territories in order to carry out attacks aimed at torpedoing the peace process," Yediot said, citing security sources.

On Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak issued fresh warnings of planned attacks against Israeli targets at home and abroad by Islamic groups opposed to the Middle East peace process.

Israel’s army chief of staff, Shaul Mofaz warned Tuesday of "specific information about planned attacks, based on intelligence information."

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