TEHRAN -- The Managing Editor of the Persian daily ***Hambastegi,**** Gholam-Heydar Embrahimbay-Salami, appeared before a Tehran court over several counts of charges brought against the journalist, he told IRNA here Sunday.

His charges, brought by a former parliamentarian from Damavand Ahmad Rassouli-Nejad, are related to articles published in ***Hambastegi,*** the journalist said.

"I attended a court session, presided by judge Saeed Mortazavi, who read three counts of complaints brought by Ahmad Rassouli-Nejad," he said.

The former Majlis (Parliament) deputy has charged Salami over paper's articles which were complaining of lack of security in Iranian universities, prostitution gangs as well as restrictions imposed by the Guardians Council and the Expediency Council on the Parliament, he said.

Salami said his lawyer had asked the court for a one-month grace to prepare defense and that the judge agreed only with 15 days.

He said in total Hambastegi is under 56 counts of suit, 35 of which have been filed since the start of the new Iranian year on March 21, 2002, The paper said last week that Salami had been summoned to court for the second time since June 14 when it was announced that the journalist had been asked to appear before the press court.

According to the announcement by*** Hambastegi,*** Salami had been given three days to attend the court for 'some clarifications'.

The journalist is also a Majlis representative from the northeastern constituency of Khaf and Roshtkhar in Khorasan Province.

Iranian courts have summoned scores of journalists and revoked the licenses of their publications for publishing lies and instigating the public opinion.