Ahmadinejad's administration cancels the budget for two organizations being established by Khatami

Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi

According to reports from the regime-run news agency, FARS, the Ahamdinejad administration has declared the budgets for the two organizations established by Khatami, the ex-president of Iran, illegal. Khatami, after the end of his presidential term, established two organizations entitled "The Dialogue with Civilizations" (whose concept and details Khatami has shamelessly stolen from Empress Farah Pahlavi who first established it in 1976, in Iran) and "The Baaraan Foundation" which Khatami claims has been created for the establishment of freedom*, research and development. READ MORE

The same report also asserts that after the establishment of these two private organizations, on the last day of his presidency (Aug. 2nd, 2005) in a presidential authorization, Khatami added his organizations' names to a list of organizations that are commissioned by the regime. On the very same day on account of said authorization, several of the directors and experts of the regime who were offered significant salaries and benefits, all at the regime's expense, were transferred to Mr. Khatami's private organization.

Ahmadinejad's administration in a meeting this week called this an illegal act and declared the official mandate of affiliation null and void.

*During Khatami‘s eight years in office, 4 journalists were killed, 1 disappeared, more than 150 newspapers (not counting student newspapers) were shut down by the authorities, more than 200 journalists were summoned, detained and questioned, and 52 of them sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to 14 years.