(RSF/IFEX) – On 28 June 2005, a Tehran court cleared blogger Mojtaba Saminejad of charges of “insulting the prophets”, for which he faced the death penalty. Saminejad must still serve a two-year sentence, however, for “insulting the Supreme Guide”. RSF repeated its call for the release of the young blogger, who has been held in […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 28 June 2005, a Tehran court cleared blogger Mojtaba Saminejad of charges of “insulting the prophets”, for which he faced the death penalty. Saminejad must still serve a two-year sentence, however, for “insulting the Supreme Guide”.
RSF repeated its call for the release of the young blogger, who has been held in custody since 12 February 2005.
Saminejad’s lawyer called two conservative ayatollahs to testify before the judges that the articles posted by his client could not been interpreted as insulting to the prophets.
The blogger had been sentenced to two years in prison at an earlier hearing before another Tehran court for “insulting the Supreme Guide”. He has so far not been allowed to appeal this ruling.
Two other webloggers and cyber-journalists, Mohamad Reza Nasab Abdolahi and Mojtaba Lotfi, have also been imprisoned since February 2005.
