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DATE= JANUARY 12, 1999 TYPE= EDITORIAL NUMBER= 0-08141 TITLE= EDITORIAL: IRANIAN SECURITY OFFICIALS ARRESTED CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST JANUARY 12, 1999. ANNCR: THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES. NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. VOICE: THIS MONTH, THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF A NUMBER OF OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRY OF INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY. THEY ARE ACCUSED OF BEING INVOLVED IN THE RECENT MURDERS OF SEVERAL IRANIAN WRITERS AND OTHER INTELLECTUALS. PROMINENT IRANIANS WHO HAVE BEEN MURDERED IN RECENT MONTHS INCLUDE OPPOSITION POLITICIAN DARIUSH FOROUHAR [DAHR-EE-'OOSH FOR-OO-'HAHR] AND HIS WIFE PARVANEH [PAHR-VAH-'NAY]. THEY WERE FOUND STABBED TO DEATH AT THEIR HOME IN TEHRAN IN NOVEMBER. MR. FOROUHAR WAS THE LEADER OF THE BANNED IRAN NATION PARTY. HE HAD SERVED AS A CABINET MINISTER PRIOR TO THE CONSOLIDATION OF IRAN'S SHI'ITE MUSLIM CLERICAL REGIME. THE FOROUHARS HAD LONG BEEN SUBJECT TO CLOSE GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE. IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF THE FOROUHARS, THREE PROMINENT IRANIAN WRITERS WERE FOUND DEAD AFTER THEIR FAMILIES REPORTED THEM MISSING UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY WERE PART OF A GROUP OF GOVERNMENT CRITICS WHO WERE TRYING TO FORM AN INDEPENDENT WRITERS UNION. THE UNITED STATES VIEWS THE ARRESTS ANNOUNCED BY THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT AS A POSITIVE STEP TOWARD RESPECTING THE RULE OF LAW AND PROVIDING FOR THE SECURITY OF IRANIANS TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. AS THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS MAKES CLEAR IN ARTICLE NINETEEN, "EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF OPINION AND EXPRESSION." IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT CITIZENS CAN ENJOY THIS RIGHT. ANNCR: THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR FAX US AT (202) 619-1043. 11-Jan-99 1:05 PM EST (1805 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .