Mashallah Shamsolvaezin addresses a protest gathering in Tehran on Monday, as Issa Saharkhiz looks on. (IRNA Photo)

TEHRAN, May 24--A spokesman of a press body warned against political inequality in Iran, in reference to discriminatory approaches in dealing with the same concept in different situations.
Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, spokesman of the Association for Defending Press Freedom, was speaking at a protest gathering on Monday in front of the parliament, IRNA reported on Tuesday.
Referring to the uproar some years ago over the publication of a caricature in one of the pro-reform newspaper which was deemed an insult to a top religious authority, Shamsolvaezin said, “Ironically, a lawmaker insults a journalist and the same people do not even respond.“
The newspaper which published the cartoon was closed and the caricaturist detained for a few days.
Shamsolvaezin, a veteran journalist himself, said this was a blatant case of political apartheid.
He noted that at the onset of the 9th presidential election, the situation of the press in the country was highly regrettable.
Several political and student activists also discussed the status of media and journalists in Iran as well as reports about the deteriorating health of jailed activist Akbar Ganji.
Deputy head of the association, Issa Saharkhiz, told ISNA that Ganji’s health has declined.
“His daily diet includes water, tea and a few sugar cubes,“ he said.
“Members of the press request that an independent medical team, accompanied by a number of association members, be allowed to visit Ganji.“
Saharkhiz also said Ganji is banned from using the phone and going on leave.
A number of Internet sites recently posted a letter attributed to Ganji, who is serving a six-year jail term since 2001, saying he has launched a hunger strike to protest the inattention of prison officials toward his deteriorating health.
A judiciary official said on Monday jailed political activist Akbar Ganji refused to allow two physicians conduct a medical check-up on him.
The judiciary also rejected reports that Ganji’s health has deteriorated in recent months.

ISFAHAN, May 24--Iran insists on its previous stance and calls on Europe to take positive steps, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said here on Tuesday.
Kharrazi, who was in the central city of Isfahan to attend the inaugural ceremony of the International Conference on the Persian Gulf in Scope of History, made the remark to reporters on the threshold of the new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and Europe, IRNA reported.
Senior officials of the three European states, namely Germany, Britain and France, are to discuss Iran’s nuclear program in Brussels on Tuesday with Iranian officials.
“In this round of talks, Iran’s stance is transparent. We call for the removal of ongoing problems for meeting our national interest,“ he said.
Kharrazi added that Iran has always pursued continuation of negotiations, saying that the European side was not successful in taking constructive steps to break the current stalemate.
Pointing to transfer of a part of nuclear fuel enrichment process to Russia, the Iranian minister said the proposal was offered by Russia regarding technical issues but feasible studies should be carried out.
Kharrazi also stressed the importance of the Iranian nation’s massive turnout in the June 17 presidential elections and said the international community will monitor people’s participation in the election.
Addressing the conference, Kharrazi said the name of Persian Gulf has always been associated with Iran and its ancient civilization throughout history. He stressed that the name of Persian Gulf has never been distorted even during the five centuries when aliens reigned on the waterway.
“It is even recorded in the Achaemenid royal inscriptions that the ’Persian Sea’ or ’Persian Gulf’ is at the heart of trade relations between the Achaemenid Empire and other countries, including ancient Rome, India, and Egypt,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Kharrazi will pay an official one-day visit to Lebanon on Thursday to discuss the latest regional developments with senior Lebanese officials.
Talking to IRNA on Tuesday, Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Hamid Reza Dehqani said Kharrazi is expected to confer with Lebanese president, prime minister, parliament speaker and foreign minister.

One of the war disabled citizens received an award from Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel in Tehran on Monday. (Mehr Photo)

TEHRAN, May 24--Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel said on Monday massive electoral participation will prove Iran has a real religious democracy.
Speaking at a commemoration service for Christian, Zoroastrian and Jewish war disabled citizens, he said, “People from all walks of life, including our religious minorities, would participate in the polls on June 17th, to display national solidarity and public participation, that is the motto of the year, according to the leader,“ IRNA reported.
The speaker pointed out that Iran’s history provides abundant proof of the Iranians’ kind treatment of religious minorities.
“Before the advent of Islam and later when a majority of Iranians embraced God’s last monotheist faith, they always maintained their amicable attitude toward religious minorities in the country where genocide in the name of religion has, thanks to God, no precedence,“ he said.
Referring to the enemies’ plots for sowing seeds of discord among the masses, he said, “The Iranian religious minorities have thus far disheartened the enemies and humiliated them. And the best proof of their patriotic feelings is their serious presence in the Sacred Defense (the 1980-88 Iraq-imposed war).“
Haddad-Adel noted that ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain attacked Iran by relying on the green light from the world powers, but “even a square inch of our soil was not given to the enemy, that relied on the all-out support of all world powers throughout that devastating war“.
“Take note of the wretched fate of the one who launched that treacherous attack against Iran, and be sure that is the fate of anyone attacking a divine land,“ he said.

TEHRAN, May 24--Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel said on Monday the Iranian nation respects the liberation campaign of the South African nation against apartheid.
In a meeting with South African Ambassador to Tehran Yusuf Salooje, Haddad-Adel said relations between the Iranian and South African nations are amicable, IRNA reported.
He added that the two countries enjoy great economic potentials that would pave the way for expansion of relations in all areas.
“We welcome scientific and technical cooperation with South Africa given the strong determination of the two countries’ officials,“ he said.
The speaker underlined Iran’s legitimate right and determination to make use of peaceful nuclear technology.
Haddad-Adel stressed that Iran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency and has abided by related laws to build confidence.
“Washington’s enmity with Iran is not restricted to the peaceful nuclear energy; the US is seeking to take control of Iran,“ he said.
The South African diplomat, for his part, pointed out that the campaign of the South African nation has been influenced by the victory of the Iranian nation in a positive way.
Salooje stressed that Iran’s revolutionary government broke off its relations with the apartheid regime and discontinued oil exports to South Africa which indicated the Iranian nation’s real support.
“Countries which signed up to the Non-Proliferation Treaty are entitled to gain access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and we support it“, he said, adding that the problem emerges when big powers would like to reverse the international laws based on their biased attitude.
Salooje expressed hope that the issue would be resolved according to international regulations.

TEHRAN, May 24--Presidential candidate Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said an in-depth and sagacious movement is needed to revive the Iranian identity and to acquaint the younger generation with the nation’s past achievements.
In a meeting with members of the Center for Compiling the Islamic Encyclopedia on Monday, Rafsanjani said national unity has been damaged and some are trying to suppress intellectuals by creating uproar and adding fuel to prevailing disputes.
“We have to recognize our past achievements and introduce them to our youth,“ he said.
Rafsanjani advised against bigotry which, he said, paves the way for the domination of foreign cultures.