Iran satirist apologizes in court, seeks leniency

Iran's leading satirist Ebrahim Nabavi wearing a prison uniform listens on Wednesday during his trial at a court in Tehran, Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran's leading satirist apologized in court on Wednesday for "irresponsible extremism" and promised to distance himself from politics in the future.

Ebrahim Nabavi, whose biting newspaper columns produced best-selling books, denied charges of carrying out propaganda against the state and inciting public opinion.

But he admitted his commentaries may have caused others pain, and he asked the court for leniency on charges of libel.

"My extremism was irresponsible and in principle all extremism is wrong and irresponsible," said Nabavi, who periodically cracked jokes in the courtroom.

"I am solely responsible for my works," he told the judge. "I never listen to editors because I believe I know more than they do.

"I would prefer to spend years in prison rather than write upon the request or orders of others, but I am sorry if my satires caused pain," Nabavi said.

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He told the court he was not mistreated in prison where he said conditions were better than in the past. Judge Saeed Mortazavi said he would issue his sentence within a week.

"Now, I will once again create a distance between myself and politics," said Nabavi, a former film critic and writer on the arts.

Nabavi spent one month in prison along with senior editors after their ground-breaking Jameah newspaper was closed by conservatives in 1998.

Many reformist journalists have been imprisoned since the latest crackdown on the independent press last April.

More than 30 publications have been closed down by judiciary hardliners who are bitterly opposed to the political and cultural reforms proposed by Iran's moderate President Mohammad Khatami since then.

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