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Iranian judiciary chief calls out Rouhani over press freedom

The ongoing Press Exhibition in Iran has provided a platform for debate on freedom of the press in the country, highlighting the divisions among political factions.
Men look at newspapers at a road side stall in central Tehran, Iran August 24, 2015.  REUTERS/Darren Staples - RTX1PH7I

Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani’s latest remarks on freedom of the press in Iran featured on almost every front page in the country Nov. 8, and heated the debate that emerged with the opening of the Press Exhibition in Tehran on Nov. 4.

“Some pressure us by asking, 'Why don’t you shut down that newspaper?' while others ask, 'Why have you banned that newspaper?'” Larijani said Nov. 7. “All I can say [in response] to these pressures is that we [the judiciary] pursue our path only by following the constitution and Islamic law.”

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