A Crime And Its Cover-Up.(death of photojournalist Zahra Kazemi sparks distrust of political reformists, Iran)

With his suit, thin-rimmed glasses and trim beard, Said Mortazavi could pass as a college professor. But few of Iran's literati would mistake him for a colleague. During a three-year stint as head of Tehran's Press Court, Mortazavi was responsible for shutting down dozens of reformist newspapers and jailing more than 20 journalists. Critics dubbed him the "butcher of the press." In recent weeks, Mortazavi, who was appointed Tehran's public prosecutor in May, has been grabbing headlines again--not for jailing a journalist, but for his alleged role in covering up the death of one.

The extraordinary case of Zahra Kazemi, a 54-year-old photographer with both Iranian and Canadian citizenship, has exposed the operation of shadowy security services in Iran and brought international condemnation on the government. Two weeks ago a U.N. committee passed a resolution, drafted by the Canadian government, slamming Iran for human-rights violations. Perhaps more importantly, Kazemi's death has sparked a major fight between the reformist-dominated majlis, or Parliament, and the hard-line judiciary. Analysts say the dispute is not just about how the Kazemi case gets resolved. There is a larger issue at stake--namely, next February's parliamentary elections. "Kazemi has become a very important domestic issue," says a Tehran- based Western diplomat. "If there is a sense that justice isn't being done, the reformists could lose a lot of support."

Some basic facts about the case are no longer in dispute. On June 23, Kazemi, who had a work permit from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, was arrested while taking photographs of detainees' families outside the notorious Evin prison in north Tehran. She was accused of spying, but denied the charge. During the initial four days of interrogation by various security agencies, including the Ministry of Intelligence and Public Prosecutor's Office, Kazemi was hit on the head with a blunt object, which resulted in her death on July 10. Issa Saharkhiz, editor of the reformist magazine Aftab, was himself in Evin prison shortly after Kazemi was beaten. He asked prison authorities why she had been detained. "A picture taken outside of the prison is not a strong case for spying," he says. "It was only an excuse to arrest her. Various groups wanted to claim she was bringing money from foreign organizations to journalists and local newspapers. But they could not get this confession."

A report issued in early November by the Parliament's Article 90 Commission, responsible for investigating complaints against the government, claimed Kazemi had received the fatal blow while in the custody of judiciary officials. Mortazavi, the report said, had tried to cover up the killing by forcing witnesses to change their testimony. The report infuriated members of the judiciary who'd already started proceedings against a Ministry of Intelligence agent in early October. That trial, set to resume in late ...