Reformist MP Behzad Nabavi, former deputy parliamentary speaker, has been summoned by a Tehran administrative court in connection with alleged illegal support for President Mohammad Khatami in the run-up to the June polls, reported the official Iranian news agency, IRNA, citing a press report on Monday.
The reformist daily, Tose'eh, said the MP must show up in the court because of a complaint by Iran's conservative top electoral watchdog, the Guardian Council.
"The Guardian Council has complained that Nabavi contributed to campaigning for President Khatami," the paper said.
June 8 polls swept reformist President Khatami to another landslide victory.
Meanwhile, reformist lawmakers Akbar Alami and Issa Moqaddamzad have been found "innocent" after being questioned in the same court, Tose'eh said.
The report added that Alami was interrogated in connection with last month's presidential polls, and Moqaddamzad faced a police complaint.
Tose'eh did not give details of the interrogation, said IRNA.
Last week, courts issued summonses to five more reformist deputies.
Mohammad Dadfar, Ali Nazari, Hossein Loqmanian, Mohsen Armin and Mostafa Taheri-Nadjafabadi -- all members of Parliament's reformist bloc -- received summons July 8.
Two reformist MPs have thus far been sentenced to jail. Issa Mousavinejad has received a year in jail for inciting student unrest, while Hossein Loqmanian has been slapped with 13 months for "insulting the judiciary."
Fellow lawmakers have denounced the verdicts, saying the Constitution gives legislators immunity to prosectution when delivering their speeches, according to the agency.
Over 40 pro-reform newspapers have been closed down by the country's courts since last April, leading to the arrest and/or imprisonment of several dissidents and journalists – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
