Iran's top journalist sentenced to prison and internal exile

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's leading investigative journalist has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and five years in internal exile for attending a conference in Germany that authorities said harmed Iran's image, his lawyer said Saturday.

Journalist Akbar Ganji was among 16 people tried on charges of "undermining Iran's security" for participating in the conference last year on reforms in Iran.

Dozens of pro-reform activists were detained after returning from Berlin in what they called an attempt by hard-liners to intimidate supporters of President Mohammad Khatami's program of social and political freedoms.

Eight of those tried received prison sentences of up to 10 years and two were fined, defendants told The Associated Press. Tehran Radio said earlier this week that six defendants were acquitted and 10 sentenced.

The Tehran Revolutionary Court refused to reveal the verdicts, saying it would leave the announcement to the defendants and their lawyers.

Before his arrest, Ganji had written a series of articles suggesting senior hard-liners in Iran's Islamic government had ordered the killings of five pro-reform writers in 1998. Authorities have said rogue intelligence agents committed the slayings.

During his trial, Ganji was more direct, accusing former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian and other top officials by name in the killings and openly challenging Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ganji's lawyer, Gholam-Ali Riyahi, said he was informed of the sentence on Saturday. He said the verdict would be appealed.

Ganji has been sentenced to 10 years in jail followed by five years of exile in Beshagerd, a remote village in southern Iran, Riyahi told the AP.

The journalist also faces several trials for his writings in the reformist press. He has been charged with harming national security and disturbing public opinion.

Allies of Khatami have been locked in a power struggle with hard-liners, who control powerful state organs including the judiciary and security forces. Hard-liners have closed down numerous pro-reform newspapers over the past year.

The Berlin conference provoked outrage in conservative circles after state-run television showed footage of an Iranian woman dancing and other participants chanting slogans against Iran.

AP - By Afshin Valinejad

13/01/2001 00:00:00

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