Kayvan Kaboli, Oct 30, 2013

The head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani has publicly defended Bahar newspaper ban. Bahar was accused of publishing an article insulting Muslim religious beliefs last week, according to hardliners. Bahar was close to reformists and Hassan Rouhani, the new regime’s elected president.

Larijani rejected critiques of censorship and blasted those who still try to attack the regime after being the cause of instability four years ago. Larijani refers to Green Movement in  2009 that started after the fraudulent presidential election.  Alleged movement’s  leaders Moussavi and Karoubi are still under house arrest.

Last week’s altercation between Moussavi’s daughters and security personnel during a regular visit with parents that turned violent has raised uneasiness among Rouhani’s supporters. The head of Judiciary also showed his approval for abrupt hanging of 16 prisoners in Saravan in retaliation for a border attack.

Rouhani’s inaction and his government’s tacit support to repressive policies have caused disillusion among reformists who hoped for social opening under new president.