A group of Iranian lawmakers calls for lifting the ban Mehdi Karroubi's Etemad-e Melli daily, after authorities ordered the closure of the pro-Reformist newspaper.

In a letter to newly-appointed Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, lawmakers asked him to order the ban on the ""widely-circulated"" paper to be ""immediately"" lifted, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported.
""The opposition daily has made efforts to promote an atmosphere of criticism in a fair way,""
“… this newspaper, which was critical of the government, attempted to behave as an observer and …not divert from the path of fairness,” they added.
Etemad-e-Melli (National Confidence) was banned on Monday after Karroubi alleged that post-vote detainees had been sexually assaulted by prison authorities, sparking controversy in the country.
The Civil Servants Prosecution Office, which handles press cases, said that the popular newspaper had been ordered shut until further notice for ""publishing unlawful and criminal material.""
""We expect heads and staff of the daily to remain committed to the Islamic Republic, Iranian nation and Constitution,"" said the lawmakers in their letter.
(Source: Press TV)