Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused parts of the press of unfair criticism of the government, saying they were blowing some shortcomings out of proportion, newspapers reported on Monday.
Newspapers, particularly the handful of reform-minded opposition dailies which still publish, have become increasingly critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, particularly over the economy and rising prices.
The government has already asked the judiciary to clamp down on newspapers that publish "lies", but also says it supports free speech. Opponents say they feel increasing pressure to stop speaking out.
"Some of the press are unfair on the government and try to question the government's policies and magnify the minor defects by using techniques of propaganda," Khamenei, Iran's highest authority, was quoted as saying by the daily Resalat on Monday.
"I warned years ago about the role of foreign hands in the media, propaganda and Iran's cultural administration," Khamenei said. "Eventually everybody acknowledged that." The press has been a major political battleground in Iran since the late 1990s, and the conservative-controlled judiciary has closed down more than 100 liberal reformist publications since then. A few have survived but their number is shrinking.
In September, the reformist newspaper Sharq was banned. Rouzegar was launched shortly afterwards and employed many Sharq journalists, but it was closed after just a week. Critics say the closures are part of a gradual squeeze on political opponents and a clampdown on cultural activities the authorities see as encouraging "corrupt" Western values.
But Khamenei, who has in the past called Ahmadinejad's government the most popular in 100 years, said the press were still free to say what they wanted. "The fact that there are some press in Iran who write freely against the establishment and the government is a clear sign of freedom of speech," Khamenei said. "The knowledgeable people of Iran do not pay attention to such media," he added.
Ahmadinejad has said the media have exaggerated price rises, which are a common gripe among ordinary Iranians. Economists say the president's profligate spending is stoking inflation.
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