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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran bails top reformist for new year celebration |
| 2010-03-21 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Iranian authorities temporarily freed a top reformist on Saturday two days after his arrest, so he can join the country's new year celebrations, Fars news agency reported quoting Tehran's prosecutor. "After Hossein Marashi's arrest on Thursday to serve one year in prison according to his the final verdict (from an appeals court), he was given a leave until April 3," prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi was quoted as saying. He added that Marashi was released Saturday morning. Marashi, a leading member of the Executives of Construction group close to former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was convicted of spreading propaganda against the Islamic republic. The appeals court also upheld a ban on his engaging in any party political activity for six years, the website added. Marashi's group was a leading supporter of former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi in his election campaign against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last June. The courts have sentenced several top reformists and political activists to varying jail terms after convicting them of acting against the regime. Several detainees have been released on bail in recent weeks, but news reports say 10 protesters charged with taking part in the post-election unrest have been sentenced to death. On January 28, Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmani Pour, two members of a monarchist group, were executed. It was unclear when they were arrested, but they were put on trial alongside several post-election protesters. |
| Posted by:Fred |