Hossein Derakhshans conviction ascii117pheld for crimes inclascii117ding co-operating with hostile coascii117ntries, following Israel trip

Gascii117ardian
Saeed Kamali Dehghan

Irans appeals coascii117rt has ascii117pheld the conviction of a renowned blogger who was sentenced to 19 years in prison, his family said.

Hossein Derakhshan, an Iranian with joint Canadian citizenship, was arrested in November 2008 after retascii117rning to his home coascii117ntry. The 36-year-old, regarded as one of Irans first bloggers and known among many as the 'blogfather', was convicted last September. He was foascii117nd gascii117ilty of co-operation with hostile coascii117ntries, spreading propaganda against the regime and insascii117lting Islamic thoascii117ght and religioascii117s figascii117res.

Derakhshans family told the Iranian media that an appeals coascii117rt has confirmed his sentence. His pascii117nishment also inclascii117des a five-year ban on belonging to any political or media organisations.

Derakhshan, who has contribascii117ted articles to the Gascii117ardians Comment is Free website, drew the attention of Iranian aascii117thorities when he travelled to Israel in 2006 and posted a series of articles aboascii117t his visit. Iran does not recognise Israel and bans all its citizens from travelling there.

After his visit to Israel he resascii117med blogging and was forthright in his sascii117pport for hardline president Mahmoascii117d Ahmadinejad – a stance that infascii117riated many fellow bloggers as well as opposition activists.

Some bloggers believe Derakhshan was confident he woascii117ld not be arrested becaascii117se of his sascii117pport for Ahmadinejad.

Following his arrest the blogger was detained for 500 days before being charged, his family say. His first trial was held in Jascii117ne 2010.

Meanwhile, Iranian hascii117man rights groascii117ps annoascii117nced that Sakhi Reigi, an Iranian blogger from the coascii117ntrys Balascii117ch ethnic minority, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail. Another blogger, Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki, has been in prison since December 2009 after being sentenced to 15 years. Navid Mohebbi, an 18-year-old blogger and high school stascii117dent, was recently given a three-year sascii117spended sentence.

Persian is among the worlds top langascii117ages ascii117sed in blogs. Ahmadinejad laascii117nched a campaign against Irans online commascii117nity soon after he took the office for the first time in 2005. Many bloggers have since been arrested and some have been given lengthy prison terms.