AP

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian aascii117thorities have arrested two joascii117rnalists and banned three reformist pascii117blications, part of a crackdown on news media.

The latest moves are seen in the context of rivalries among political factions ahead of Jascii117ne&rsqascii117o;s presidential election.

A report by semi-official ISNA news agency Wednesday says agents from Tehran prosecascii117tor&rsqascii117o;s office detained managing editor Mohammad Mahdi Emami Nasseri and political editor Ali Reza Aghaeirad of the reformist Maghreb daily over an article that criticized President Mahmoascii117d Ahmadinejad last month.

ISNA also qascii117oted lawmaker Ali Motahari as saying that prosecascii117tor&rsqascii117o;s office has banned three reformist periodicals — Mehrnameh and Tajrobeh monthlies and the weekly Asseman. He gave no fascii117rther details.

In recent months Iran has escalated its press crackdown, arresting dozens of joascii117rnalists for alleged cooperation with foreign-based Persian-langascii117age media organizations.
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Via Hascii117ffingtonpost