IRNA chief cleared from charges

Tehran, Sept 18, IRNA – Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency Ali-Akbar Javanfekr was cleared Tuesday from all "baseless" charges raised against him by Iran's State Inspectorate Organization. The Government Employees Court announced that Javanfekr was cleared from charges of not having appropriate cooperation with the body. Javanfekr, who serves as presidential advisor for media affairs, is also head of the cultural-media institute of 'Iran' which publishes 'Iran' newspaper and its subsidiary publications including 'Iran-e Varzeshi' (sports) and 'Iran-e Sepid' (for the blind). While 'Iran' is just a cultural and media institute, the inspectorate organization had considered it as a "state organization" that should be under its inspection. Based upon Iran's Constitution, the State Inspectorate Organization is in charge of regular controlling and supervising executive bodies, military and disciplinary forces, state-run institutions and companies, municipalities and their subsidiaries, public notary chambers, foundations of public utility, revolutionary organs, and institutions whose financial resources totally or partially belong to the government. Javanfekr was, unfoundedly, accused by the inspectorate organization of not allowing the latter's experts to inspect Iran Institute arguing that it was not a governmental body. "Regarding that the Cultural and Media Institute of Iran is not a state-run body and receives no financial assisstance from the government, it is clear that no offense was made by the defendant," said the judge in the Branch 1057 of the Government Employees Court in its final verdict.