Law Newspaper Suspended Due to 'Uninvited Guest' Headline About Bashar al-Assad's Visit

According to reports, the Law newspaper was suspended on Tuesday, March 7, after using the phrase 'uninvited guest' regarding the meeting of Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Based on a notification from the Public Prosecutor's Office for Culture and Media to the Law newspaper, this publication will not be allowed to publish from tomorrow. According to ISNA news agency, a part of this notification states that 'according to Article 576 of the Islamic Penal Code, for the prevention of crime, it will be temporarily suspended.' On Tuesday, the Law newspaper had the headline 'Uninvited Guest' regarding Bashar al-Assad's meeting with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, visited Tehran on Monday, March 6, and met separately with Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran. This visit by Bashar al-Assad to Iran has not occurred since the protests began in 2011 and the subsequent civil war in Syria. This visit is of great importance to the close associates of the Supreme Leader, and media close to the Revolutionary Guards have referred to it as a 'victory for the resistance front.' Ayatollah Khamenei also told Bashar al-Assad that he has 'become a hero of the Arab world' and that 'resistance in the region has gained more power and prestige' through him. Islamic Republic officials refer to Bashar al-Assad and armed Palestinian and Lebanese groups as part of the 'resistance front against Israel.' The Law newspaper published its issue number 1428 on Tuesday morning. This newspaper had previously been suspended in 2014 and 2016. According to a report by the Iran Reporters Organization in 2018, this year ranks 164 out of 180 countries and has not made any specific progress in terms of freedom compared to last year. In last year's ranking, Iran was at 165. Reporters Without Borders has long identified Iran as one of the five largest prisons for journalists. Since December 2017, more than 20 journalists and 50 citizen journalists have been arrested in Iran. In this context, the editor-in-chief of the 'Shargh' newspaper was arrested by a judge's order in Mashhad. The General Prosecutor's order for the suspension of a newspaper was issued on the charge of 'religious insult.' Reporters Without Borders: Election candidates should commit to improving the information situation. 'Press that are not free' What has happened that Zarif speaks of war? Severe government repression and the danger of protests becoming 'underground.' What doctors and eyewitnesses recount about the injured in the protests. The limitation of relations between China and Iran amid protests.