The Ansar Hezbollah Weekly 'Yalasarat' Published Without Ministry of Culture Permission

Despite the cancellation of the license for the weekly 'Yalasarat' by the Ministry of Culture on Monday, the Ansar Hezbollah group announced on its website that the publication was released and distributed on Wednesday, January 6. The Iranian Press Supervisory Board revoked the license of 'Yalasarat', affiliated with the Ansar Hezbollah organization, due to its insistence on insulting Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs. However, the Ansar Hezbollah website reported on Wednesday, January 6, that issue 827 of 'Yalasarat' was published and distributed at newsstands. The Ministry of Culture and the Iranian Press Supervisory Board have not yet reacted to the publication of 'Yalasarat' after its license was revoked. According to the Ansar website, the new issue includes 'black pages from the record' of the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs and comments from Abdul Hamid Mohtasham, the editor-in-chief of 'Yalasarat', regarding what he described as 'bad language' from Ms. Molaverdi. This issue of 'Yalasarat' also published critical reports on the policies of Hassan Rouhani's government regarding cyberspace and the Vienna nuclear agreement. In previous issues, the publication criticized Rouhani's policies, referring to Ms. Molaverdi as a 'companion' of a women's rights activist and derogatorily labeling that activist as a 'prostitute'. Ms. Molaverdi protested this article, stating that the publication had committed a 'shameful insult' against her and that 'this way, they have taken a serious bite out of women to remind them that even if they are the Vice President, they are not safe from the sharp blades of destruction!' Following Ms. Molaverdi's stance, 'Yalasarat' again reiterated its previous writings, urging the Vice President of Iran to go to London if she is upset with the publication's approach. Abdul Hamid Mohtasham described the revocation of the weekly's license as 'unjust' and stated that he had not yet received any official notice. He also considered the cancellation of his publication's license to be a result of the 'intolerance' of Hassan Rouhani's government towards criticism. 'Yalasarat' has been suspended in December 2013 and again last year, and was reinstated after several months.