An Iranian court has sentenced a top pro-reform journalist and six other activists to up to 10 years in prison for participating in a Berlin conference on political change in Iran.
The sentences were the latest step in a crackdown by the conservative-dominated judiciary and political establishment that has all but wiped out reforms introduced by moderate President Mohammad Khatami.
The agency said newspaper editor Akbar Ganji had been jailed for 10 years - four years for his part in the conference, four years for possessing a confidential government bulletin, 18 months for insulting the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and six months for spreading propaganda against the Islamic system.
The Berlin conference last year, organised by the Heinrich Boell Foundation, which has close ties to Germany's Greens party, was called to discuss the progress of reform in Iran.
It was frequently interrupted by banned Iranian opposition groups. Television showed a man removing his clothing and a woman dancing, outraging many Iranian conservatives.
As a campaigning investigative journalist, Ganji, editor of Fath(Victory) newspaper, alleged high-level involvement in the so-called serial murders of dissidents. Reports he wrote on official wrongdoing became national best-sellers.
Ganji said at his trial he was told by the Intelligence Ministry not to look further than mid-level security agents when investigating the 1998 killings of dissident intellectuals.
Nor was he to dig into events before Khatami's 1997 election, he said the agents told him, threatening jail.
"The decision to imprison me was taken beforehand and this court is just a pretext. You know this as well as I do", Ganji told the judge. "The political will exists to put me behind bars and you are just sitting there to carry this out."
After his jail term the court ordered that Ganji be exiled for five years to the remote southern town of Bashagard.
Six other defendants were given jail terms ranging between four and 10 years. Six were acquitted.
Saeed Sadr, a translator for the German embassy, was also sentenced to 10 years in jail. Another translator, Khalil Rostamkhani, was given nine years.
Student leader Ali Afshari received five years and opposition activist Izzatollah Sahabi four years. Feminists Mehrangis Kar and Shahla Lahiji both received four-year sentences. The convicted have 20 days to appeal.
The anti-reform backlash began after reformist candidates scored overwhelming victory in February 2000 general elections.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the liberal press as bases of the enemy, leading to prosecutions of publishers, editors and journalists. More than 30 newspapers and journals have been banned.
With presidential polls in June, Khatami has little to show for his 1997 election pledge to increase freedom of speech. Many of his reforms have been vetoed by the Guardian Council, set by Khamenei to ensure legislation conforms to Islamic law.
Observers say his other main election promise, ensuring the rule of law, is also threatened, alleging that authorities cover up high-level state involvement in the serial murders case.
The popular Khatami has kept the nation guessing over whether he will stand for reelection in June.
Some analysts believe he is trying to extract concessions from the conservative hierarchy to ease the restraints on his government. His withdrawal from the race would plunge all sides, conservatives and reformers, into turmoil.
REUTERS