RFE/RL reports: Iran’s president has broken a long-standing taboo by publicly defending a reformist predecessor, but his remarks were met with a muted response.
In a speech broadcast live from Mohammad Khatami’s hometown on March 7, President Hassan Rohani hailed the former reformist president as a “dear brother.”
The crowd in the central Iranian city of Yazd cheered wildly at the mention of their native son. But Iran’s state-run IRINN television, well aware of a long-standing media ban against mentioning Khatami’s name, quickly cut the volume. [Continue reading…]
Rouhani praises ex-Pres Khatami visiting Yazd, audience erupts in cheers, stateTV mutes them
[2nd half from YouTube] pic.twitter.com/QlIGIBCWYX— Hadi Nili (@HadiNili) March 7, 2016
