IRI Presidental advisor for press affairs

IRNA Managing Director and presidential advisor for press affairs Ali-Akbar Javanfekr was arrested today, IRNA reported.

Tehran Penal Court in November 2011 had sentenced Javanfekr to six months in prison on charges of publishing articles contrary to Islamic regulations and six more months in prison for unethical articles.

The court also banned the IRNA Chief from any kind of occupation and press activity, including governmental and private ones, for three years.

Three months later, however, the bench 32 of the Supreme Court rejected the Tehran Penal Court ruling on the case of Khatun publication and discarded the six month imprisonment of Javanfekr and agreed to other six-month prison term.

Tehran Penal Court had sentenced Javanfekr for several crimes but Supreme Court turned them down and said all the charges account for one crime so he should be subject to one punishment.

Javanfekr had already called for enforcement of Article 18 of the Constitution calling on the General and Revolutionary Courts to hold a session to look into his objection to the six-month imprisonment ruling.

Javanfekr has newly been acquitted of a charge raised by the General Inspection Organization.