TEHRAN Four more suspects currently on trial at a military court yesterday confessed to their involvement in the murder of some writers and dissidents in 1998, a case which was later known by the media as the serial murders case.

During the court's third hearing on Dec. 30, the prime suspect in

the case Mostafa Kazemi confessed to his role as the mastermind behind the killings of writers and political dissidents.

A court statement also said that the number-two suspect, Mehrdad Alikhani, defended himself during the court hearing on Saturday.

Yesterday's hearing was the court's sixth closed-door hearing into the case, and it was presided over by Judge Mohammadreza Aqiqi.

During the court's hearing yesterday, four suspects confessed to their involvement in the serial murders. Ali Roshani admitted to his role in the murder of Mohammad Ja'far Pouyandeh and Mohammad Ali Mokhtari.

The next suspect Mahmoud Ja'farzadeh confessed to his part in the murder of the political dissident Dariush Forouhar. Ja'farzadeh said his involvement was ordered by Kazemi and Alikhani.

Ali Mohseni, another suspect, admitted that he had been involved in the murder of Parvaneh Majd Eskandari, Forouhar's wife.

Hamid Rassouli, also on trial for his involvement in the serial murders, admitted his complicity in the murder of Forouhar and his wife.