TEHRAN - For supporters of Mohammad Khatami, almost everything has gone wrong since they ousted the longtime conservative majority in parliament.

Conservatives have boldly reasserted their grip on all levels of power, closing down almost all of the pro-Khatami press, hauling journalists into court or off to prison -- and even reversing some of February's poll results.

Events since then have underscored how limited Khatami's powers are, and how little room he and his supporters have to maneuver against the conservatives, who dominate the courts, police and key supervisory councils.

The reform movement urged calm after the press court closed down 10 papers late last month, and calm they got -- only to see the court forge ahead and close down almost all the remaining pro-Khatami press.
 

Enemies Translate Reformism into Repentance, Tehran Time (State Controlled Daily), May 4

The Tehran deputy to the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) said here Tuesday night that… enemies are trying to translate reformism into repentance of the past and deviation from the revolution.

"We are not taking Ms. Albright's (concept of) reformism. We are supporting the reformism which is being specified by the Leader and the president," he said.

The trend of reformism which supports the government's interest can take decisive action to confront behavioral, spoken, legal and planned disturbances, said the MP.
 

Two Student Journalists Kidnapped, Agence France Presse, May 4

TEHRAN - Two Iranian student journalists from a Tehran technical college have been kidnapped and a third attacked in the street, a newspaper said here Thursday.

The editor-in-chief and the political editor of the "May 23" student review, the Hammihan paper said.

It gave no further details about the fate of Hossein Kafi and Arash Pahlevan Nassir, but said another journalist on the paper, Farshad Asgari, had been attacked on Saturday.

Word of the kidnappings comes just a week after much of the pro-reform press behind Khatami was shut down by Iran's conservative press court.
 

Fear of the People in Iran, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, April 29

… Most Iranians want to be taken seriously as responsible citizens and it is clear that the "Dictatorship of the Mullahs" is over.

However, with another round of voting due on Friday, Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Khameni, still the most powerful man in the country, has spoken out against the reformist press, prompting the religious establishment to ban numerous newspapers… but Iranians will only endure so much before they take to the streets to show they have had enough of subjugation.
 

Justice On Trial In Iran, Newsday, May 3

The trial of 13 Iranian Jews on charges of espionage is highlighting the vast difference between law and justice; and illuminating how some courts can be used as blunt instruments of oppression and coercion.

Of course, various Iranian officials have professed guarantees of a fair trial. They point to the Iranian constitution as proof of the enumerated personal rights accorded to the Iranian people…

However, a careful reading of Iran's constitution reflects how legal statutes can be used to intensify, expand and amplify misrule. The enumeration of personal liberties is followed by this provision: "except when the interests of society necessitates." This broad and arbitrary exception serves to nullify all of the personal rights conceptualized in Iran's constitution. Essentially, the courts have unchecked discretion, since they ultimately determine what is in society's best interests.

This discretion is particularly troubling in light of the structure of Iran's Revolutionary Courts. In these courts, the judge serves as investigator, prosecutor and judge all at the same time.

One precedent in allowing courts to be guided by the interests of the state occurred in Nazi Germany…

In one recent trial of a newspaper editor for "insulting Iran," the judge ended the proceeding before the editor was permitted to make his defense. Prior to submitting a written defense, the jury had declared him guilty of 15 charges…

The Iranian 13 are not the only ones on trial this week. Justice is on trial as well.

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