Tehran mayor gets five years, verdict victory for hard-liners

 AFSHIN VALINEJAD Associated Press Writer

AP Online
07-23-1998
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) _ A court convicted Tehran's reformist mayor Thursday and sentenced him to five years in prison for corruption, another twist in the struggle between Iran's moderate president and his hard-line political rivals. 

Gholamhossein Karbaschi also was banned from holding public office for 20 years and sentenced to 60 lashes, but the court suspended the flogging because of his social standing. Karbaschi was fined $530,000. 

Karbaschi was not present for the verdict, which was read by a court official at the Imam Khomeini Judicial Complex. 

Hundreds of journalists crammed into …