Iran: December 18, 2001

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The Islamic conservatives controlling the judicial system continue their campaign against reformist members of parliament. Sixty of these members of parliament have been summoned before Islamic conservative judges for "insulting institutions of the regime" and three have been convicted and sentenced to jail (a year or less.) Members of parliament are supposed to be immune from prosecution for things they say in parliament. The conservative judges refuse to recognize this immunity. This move by the conservatives has further inflamed the reformist majority in parliament and moves the nation closer to civil war.