Iran seals offices of news Web site critical of president

Iran is reported to have sealed off the office of the popular news Web site baztab.com. The last item on the Web site carried the headline: "The wish of the presidential office was realised and Baztab's offices were sealed off", Reuters reported. According to Baztab (Farsi), the government put extreme pressure on the Judiciary and finally Tehran Prosecutor's Office sealed Baztab's office in Tehran because Baztab officials have refrained from updating the site.

The English and Farsi Web site which is apparently hosted by a Texas-based server, is known to be critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and was blocked in February 2007 for publishing "false" news which "violated the Constitution". Despite the ban, the site continued to be updated.

Earlier banning of the Web site was justified by the first open use of regulations adopted on 27 November 2006.

Reuters reported that "[r]ights groups and diplomats say there is a broad crackdown on dissenting voices in the Islamic state, which is under growing Western pressure over its disputed nuclear programme. The authorities deny such moves, saying they allow free speech."