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AFP-
Iranian prosecutor Mortazavi, hero to conservatives, bane of reformists
Tue Jul 22,10:49 AM ET

TEHRAN (AFP) -
Tehran's chief prosecutor Said Mortazavi, who has been told to investigate the death of a foreign journalist in which reformist critics say he was involved, is a zealous conservative notorious for having closed dozens of newspapers and jailed pro-reform journalists.

Mortazavi, who had almost crippled the reformist media as judge in charge of the hardline judiciary's press court, was named prosecutor in the capital's public and revolutionary courts by Justice Minister Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi on April 29.

The move, following the revival of the office of prosecutor that had been in abeyance since 1993 -- with the function being combined with that of judge -- caused a furore among reformist victims of Mortazavi's "politically-motivated decisions".

Since May 2000 he had used his considerable powers to order the closure of most of 100 reformist newspapers shut down by the judiciary, and slapped heavy jail terms on such prominent journalists as Akbar Ganji and Emaddedin Baghi.

Over the past few weeks, amid street demonstrations which even targetted supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his office has ordered the arrest of a number of student leaders and more than half-a-dozen journalists.

Mortazavi was himself present for part of the interrogation of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi on June 23, a few hours after her arrest outside Tehran's Evin prison as she was taking pictures of protestors demanding the release of relatives locked up during the anti-regime protests.

According to the official report following an inquiry ordered by moderate President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites) into Kazemi's death in custody, she complained to police that she had suffered "punitive measures" during the 21 hours she was with agents from Mortazavi's office.

The report prompted Khatami to ask Shahrudi to find those responsible for Kazemi's death, caused by a brain haemorrhage following an unexplained blow to the head.

Shahrudi passed on the instruction to Mortazavi, sparking a new outcry from reformist deputies who have been calling for an explanation of his role in the case, which has seriously damaged relations between Iran and Canada.

"One week before the announcement of Kazemi's death, Mortazavi had summoned the head of the culture ministry, Mohammad-Hossein Khoshvaght, to tell him that he had given a press permit to a spy," deputy Mohsen Armin said.

"The following week he summoned Khoshvaght again to demand he announce that she had suffered a stroke.

"I say that Mortazavi is at least guilty for attempting to cover up a part of the truth in this matter."

Mortazavi's conservative allies have meanwhile leapt to his defence.

"It is a great shame for the parliament to allow attacks against a soldier of the revolution, and defend the counter-revolution supported by (US President George W.) Bush and (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair," the conservative deputy Ali-Emami-Rad retorted.

"Mortazavi's crime is that he will not give in to political pressures. His crime is that he wants to block the spread of lies and infiltration in the press by counter-revolutionaries."

Right-wing newspapers suggested Tuesday that Kazemi might have smashed her own head against a wall or hard object to embarrass her interrogators.

Kayhan daily director Hossein Shariatmadari said that "contrary to the propaganda campaign carried out by extremists against the prosecutor", Kazemi did not receive the fatal blow in the custody of the prosecution, which "exonerated" Mortazavi.

Mortazavi, who is in his forties, was born in the central province of Yazd, the birthplace of Khatami. Bespectacled and with a neatly-trimmed beard, he is almost permanently attached to his mobile telephone.