Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Iran court sentences 3 progressive activists to prison

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] A Tehran Revolutionary Court on Monday sentenced three prominent progressive activists to six years in prison in connection with protests following the controversial re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June. According to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Mohsen Mirdamadi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, and Davood Soleimani were convicted of spreading propaganda against the government. The men are high-ranking officials of the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), a pro-democracy reformist political party that supported opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi in the disputed election. In addition to the jail time, the court also banned them from participation in political activity for 10 years. The Iranian government has arrested hundreds in a crackdown on anti-government activity in the wake of protests over Ahmadenijad's re-election, drawing criticism from international human rights groups and advocacy organizations. Iranian authorities jailed prominent Iranian journalist Mohammad Nourizad and reform movement leader Hossein Marashi on similar charges in April and March, respectively. Also in March, an Iranian appeals court upheld the death sentence of 20-year-old student Mohammad Amin Valian, who took part in anti-government protests in December. In February, the US and EU jointly issued a statement condemning Iran's action against protesters and political dissenters.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 19, 2010 (boomark / email).