Four Iranian bloggers sentenced to prison, lashes
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 February 2009 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Four Iranian bloggers sentenced to prison, lashes, 6 February 2009, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49904c6e23.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 06, 2009
Four Iranian bloggers have been sentenced to prison terms, fines, and lashes for their online activities, which allegedly spread propaganda against the state.
Ruzbeh Mir Ebrahimi, Omid Memarian, Shahram Rafizadeh, and Javad Gholam Tabibi were arrested five years ago and spent several weeks in detention. They were released but their cases remained open.
Their case was the first mass arrest of bloggers in Iran. At least 15 other bloggers and journalists were detained at the same time.
The bloggers were convicted of publishing articles on their blogs that were against the Islamic Republic of Iran, of spreading propaganda against the state, and of membership in illegal groups.
The sentences ranged from nine months to three years in prison and from 10 to 80 lashes. Three of the four, having left Iran, were tried and convicted in absentia.
