An Iranian court has sentenced a blogger to more than 19 years in prison, according to a news website in the country. Canadian-Iranian Hossein Derakhshan was convicted of co-operation with hostile countries, spreading propaganda against the ruling establishment, promotion of counter-revolutionary groups and insulting Islamic thoughts and religious figures, said the conservative website, Mashreghnews.ir, which is close to the office of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Derakhshan, who made trips to Israel and blogged in both English and Farsi, has been in prison since 2008. It is unclear if he would benefit from time served. The report said he could appeal. Iranian authorities have arrested numerous bloggers in recent years in a bid to clamp down on dissent.
http://www.ejc.net/media_news/iran_blogger_jailed_for_19_years/
