Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gave the green light for a parliamentary investigation into conservative-dominated state radio and television, radio reported Saturday, July 7.
In a short letter, Khamenei says he allowed the Guardians Council, the Islamic regime's supreme oversight body, "to revise its decision", radio said. On July 3, the Council had published a statement saying it could not go back on its own decisions.
It said it needed approval from the supreme leader before it could give the go-ahead to such an investigation, requested by the reformist-dominated parliament. "After deliberation, it appeared the Council could not revise alone the documents it had adopted", the statement said. "The Council therefore asks the Leader to give it the revision order and its advice", the statement added.
On June 19, Khamenei gave his approval on principle for an investigation to probe the finances of the state media, an institution under the authority of the supreme leader and theoretically protected from any parliamentary enquiry.
Iran's parliament adopted a bill in June backed by the reformist camp proposing an investigation into, and a revision of, the statutes of state radio and television. ― (AFP, Tehran)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
