Arash Aramesh

Earlier this week, Iran’s Judiciary closed down a radical pro-government publication called Hemmat. In its last two issues, Hemmat published photos of what it called “Rafsanjani’s Men” and “Khamenei’s Men,” suggesting the two were in opposite camps and were preparing for a clash. The Judiciary, headed by Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, ordered the closure of this publication on charges of spreading false rumors and insulting high-ranking government officials.

According to Rajanews, a pro-government website, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad protested the Judiciary’s decision and said, “I am not very happy with some of the Judiciary’s actions. Someone published a paper and you shut it down. It is the job of a jury to order the closure of publications.” He added, “We do not agree with such actions and believe that these actions show a spirit of dictatorship.” He made these statements despite the fact that, during his administration, the state’s Media Monitoring Council has shut down several reformist publications since the June 12 election without trial or appearance before any kind of jury. In addition, over the last ten years, hundreds of reformist newspapers and publications have been shut down and their employees have been imprisoned.

Many conservative politicians in Iran are finding it more difficult to support the Ahmadinejad administration. The president’s radical policies have alienated important segments of the traditional right wing in Iran, while some of his radical supporters feel the president and some of his advisors are out of touch with their popular base.

The recent closure of Hemmat magazine is another chapter in Ahmadinejad’s worsening problem with the conservatives and the moderates in the country. Chief Justice Sadegh Larijani, who is appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been criticized by Ahmadinejad and the radical wing of the conservative faction in Iran for being too lenient on those detained during the demonstrations in the past seven months. This is despite the fact that the Judiciary has sentenced almost every detainee to long prison terms and has issued 11 death sentences, two of which were carried out January 28.