The Rohani administration is appealing to the judiciary to lift the media ban on former president Mohammad Khatami, vice president Eshagh Jahangiri told the Etemad daily.
Last February, the judiciary made an official announcement that the media is banned from printing news about former president Khatami and will face prosecution if they violate the judicial order.
Jahangiri emphasized that the decision was made by the judiciary and that the administration is engaged in talks with the judiciary in order to lift the ban.
Following the 2009 election protests, MirHosein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami emerged as the leaders of the Green Movement, challenging the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory with allegations of vote fraud. Mousavi and Karroubi were later put under house arrest, where they still remain. Khatami, however, was banned from traveling abroad. The media ban was unofficial until this past February, when a judiciary spokesman finally announced it.
Roahni’s administration has been unsuccessful in ending the house arrest of the Green Movement leaders, despite promises made during President Roahni’s campaign. The efforts to lift the media ban on Khatami are also facing serious resistance from Islamic Republic hardliners.
