May 26, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 13,1423

TEHRAN, May 25: Iran’s judiciary declared on Saturday any pro- American press coverage will be regarded as a crime, the official news agency IRNA reported.

“Considering the orders by the supreme leadership (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) against talks with the United States, any pro-American press coverage and propaganda will from now on be classified as a crime,” the Tehran judiciary declared in a statement carried by IRNA.

Ayatollah Khamenei, who constitutionally has the final say on all political decisions, said last Wednesday that there will be no talks with the US and termed any efforts by any officials for rapprochement as “betrayal and stupidity”.

The judiciary called on state-run television, news agencies, newspapers and official tribunals to avoid stating any favourable standpoints regarding talks with the US and prevent “illegalities”.

The reformists close to President Mohammad Khatami, including the majority of members of parliament, have voiced their support for a critical dialogue with American lawmakers for discussing the current disputes and especially Iran’s inclusion in the “axis of evil” scheme of President George W. Bush.

Iran meanwhile rejected Bush’s latest allegations of producing weapons of mass destruction, the Tehran press reported Saturday.

“The White House is just after creating tensions for strengthening its presence in the region, imposing its imperialistic will and increasing sales of its own military equipment,” former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani was quoted by the press as saying.—dpa