Iran Jails Editor for 14 Years for Insulting Leaders

[democratic]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=522069

Feb 22, 2005 — TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian journalist was jailed for 14 years on charges ranging from espionage to insulting the country's leaders in an unusually heavy sentence in Iran, where tens of journalists have been tried in recent years.

Iran's judiciary has closed down more than 100 liberal publications in the past five years and jailed many journalists, earning Iran the reputation as the biggest prison for journalists in the Middle East, according to rights groups.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said Sigarchi had been updating a weblog in which he had spoken out about the arrest of more than 20 Internet journalists, technicians and webbloggers late last year.

Most of that group have subsequently been released, although several complained of being tortured and forced to write false confessions while in detention.

[redirish28]

1. I wonder how long it will be before bush does this to media in our country

[satya]

2. They just get "suicided" here. n/t