Journalism and Media Independence Tavakoli founded the conservative newspaper Resalat shortly after leaving government. Years later, following his return from England, he established Farda newspaper in 1997. Farda was known for its elite, independent editorial stance and was considered a forerunner to the reformist press that flourished during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami. However, due to financial challenges and Tavakoli’s insistence on not seeking support from political power centers, Farda ceased operations shortly after its launch.
Saeed Hajjarian, a prominent reformist figure, once accused Tavakoli of misusing a government loan to fund the purchase of a printing press. Hajjarian later publicly retracted the accusation and apologized. Tavakoli, in turn, graciously accepted the apology and expressed gratitude for Hajjarian’s support in his anti-corruption efforts.
