Iranian Blogger to serve 14 years

by on March 5th, 2005

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/24/iranian_blogger_jailed/

An Iranian blogger accused of spying and counter-revolutionary activities has been jailed for 14 years. Newspaper editor Arash Sigarchi – whose blog criticised an Iranian crackdown on similar websites which has resulted in around 20 arrests – was himself cuffed in January on charges of “espionage, insulting the founder of Iran’s Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei, and current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei”, the BBC reports.

The sentence immediately provoked protests from human rights organisation Reporters Without Borders, which called for Sigarchi’s release. A spokesman said: “The authorities are trying to make an example of him. By handing down this harsh sentence against a weblogger, their aim is to dissuade journalists and internet-users from expressing themselves online or contacting foreign media.”

Etalkinghead Staff