Fatemeh and Mahdi Karroubi

Today, Mrs. Fatemeh Karroubi who is the head of the Islamic Women’s Organization which is the permit holder and publisher of Irandokht weekly ladies magazine announced that she plans to file a lawsuit against the Iranian Press Supervisory Board for shutting down Irandokht magazine.

Mrs. Karroubi, who herself is was a Member of Parliament condemned the censoring the press and called the banning of Irandokht an illegal and irrational act. She expressed hope that the judiciary would not allow “the executive branch of the government to easily violate the rights and civil liberties of citizens.

In her letter, Fatemeh Karroubi condemns the regime-run media for obfuscation and twisting the truth and emphasizes the totalitarian nature of the system which is in violation to progressive laws in the constitution to achieve its total control.

Fatemeh Karroubi describes Mohammad-Ali Ramin (photo), the Deputy Minister of Culture in charge of the Press, who had previously threatened Karroubi with the closure of the publication as someone who does not believe in freedom. Reportedly, two days prior to the banning of Irandokht, during a phone conversation Ramin had told Mrs. Karroubi that “In any other country, Mr. Karroubi would have been executed.”

During the recent months of protests since the disputed June elections, the regime has banned more than ten reformist publications. Etemad, Irandokht and Sina which were shut down yesterday, were three of the last reformist publications in circulation.